Strength
by KuroNekoShoujo
Summary: Sequel to "Worth". It's been six months since the attack, and Rei thinks that, except for the occasional nightmare, it's finally all over. Little does he know just how wrong he is...
1. Nightmare

**I'm ba~ack!! Yep, it's me! The one, the only, the incredibly insane...Neko-chan!!! Mreow! And this, my friends, is the first chapter to the eagerly anticipated sequel to "Worth"! Now, I know this first chapter is a little in the short side, but I will try to do my best to make the others longer, I promise! So, without further ado, here is the first chapter of "Strength"!!!**

**Warning: There are some disturbing elements in this chapter, such as violence and some brief harsh language. No like, no read.**

**Disclaimer: Those of you who read my last fic no how much I hate this part, but I guess I have no choice...*sigh*...I do not own the bishies of Saint Beast. I just torment them for my own demented pleasure...XD **

_********_

_'Hello, my pretty little bird.'_

_The sound of that voice made my entire body grow cold, and I jerked around to find its source. But it was so dark, I couldn't see anything, and the voice sounded like it was coming from everywhere all at once._

_I turned and ran as fast as I could. I tried to fly, but no matter how hard I concentrated, my wings would not appear. So I ran. I didn't know where I was running, and I didn't care. I just had to get away from that voice. That God awful voice._

_Suddenly I heard the voice laughing, and it was coming from...right in front of me! Before I could stop myself, I had run right into the hold of the man whose voice I had been fleeing from. The man whose face to haunted me every time I closed my eyes. The man whose touch I would give anything, anything to forget..._

_Stheno. _

_'Well, well. My pretty little bird wouldn't be trying to fly away so soon, now would he? The fun is just beginning.'_

_Stheno shoved my backwards until by back hit a hard, flat surface, effectively pinning me between it and Stheno's body. No matter how hard I shoved, fought and struggled, I couldn't get away from him. Soon he re-adjusted his grip so that both of my hands were pinned above my head with just one of his hands. Then, using his free hand, he ripped open the front of my robe with one strong jerk. _

_I screamed and fought even harder than before, but to no avail. Soon, that terrible hand dipped into the newly formed tear in my robe, slowly stoking and running his hands over my skin._

_'Please,' I begged, tears beginning to fall from my eyes, 'Please don't do this. Please let me go!' _

_Stheno chuckled, 'Now why would I do that, my foolish little bird?' he said, nuzzling his face against my neck. 'Now that I've finally caught you again, I'm never going to let you go...'_

_'No! Stop!' I sobbed, feeling his lips press against my neck. 'Stop! Please...Ruka...Ruka help me!' I cried, calling out for the one person I knew could save me._

_Then suddenly, I saw him. My angel. My other half. My love. _

_His back was turned to me, and he appeared to be moving away, but still, I knew it was him. I'd always know him. 'Ruka!' I cried, struggling against the weight of Stheno's body. 'Ruka, please, help me!'_

_But he didn't turn around. He didn't even make any indication that he'd heard me at all. He just kept walking farther and farther away, leaving me in Stheno's grasp. 'Please, Ruka! Don't leave me! Please don't..." I broke off, choking back a sob. Why couldn't he hear me? Why didn't he save me? Why?_

_'Because you're not worth saving,' came a voice, seeming to answer my thoughts. I recognized the voice as Pandora's, but before I could respond, he continued. 'Look at you. You're one of the Saint Beasts, supposedly the most powerful of all angels, and yet you can't hold a candle to your comrades in terms of strength or power. You're worthless.'_

_'No!' I sobbed, trying to block out the voice. Ruka would never think that. He'd never think I was worthless...would he?_

_'And not only are you worthless,' Pandora continued, 'You're disgusting as well. Letting another man touch, defile you like that, you're no better than the human whores on Earth. You're disgusting and dirty, so it's no wonder Ruka won't save you.'_

_'No...' I cried weakly, struggling once again against Stheno's rough, wandering hands. 'No, that can't be true...please, Ruka,' I pleaded, tears flowing freely down my face._

_Suddenly Ruka stopped. My heart leaped with hope, thinking that my pleas had finally reached him. I knew that if he could just turn around and see me, he'd come to my rescue. Because my Ruka always came to my rescue. Always._

_But when he finally turned all the way around to face me, my heart froze in my chest. Instead of the kind, loving expression that Ruka always wore around me, his face held...nothing. Nothing but an ice cold detachment. As if he were looking at something that had no meaning to him whatsoever._

_'R-Ruka?' I said carefully, trying my hardest not to start crying again. Ruka had never looked at me that way before. Never. 'Please, Ruka. Help me.'_

_Ruka's impassive expression didn't change as he spoke, 'Why? Why should I help you? You are nothing to me. Just a worthless, sullied angel.' And then he turned his back on me again, and started walking away._

_'No! No, Ruka, please! Help me! Don't leave me! Please don't leave me! Please, Ruka! Ruka!' But no matter how loudly I called for him, he didn't turn around. He just kept walking. He just left me. Ruka, my love, left me..._

_...in the hands of Stheno._

********

**Well, there you have it, the first chapter of "Strength"! I know it's kind of another mini cliffhanger, but what else would you expect from your friendly neighborhood sadist! XD**

**For those of you who didn't guess it from the chapter title, this is not really happening, it's all Rei's dream, which id why it's written in first person.**

**Now, since so many of you were really excited about this sequel, I would really appreciate it if you would...REVIEW!!! I need to know what ya'll think of the first chapter, so please, give me reviews!!!**

**Well, until next time, my friends!**

**~Neko-chan~**


	2. Moonlight

**Hi everyone! And welcome to chapter 2 of "Strength"!! *purrs* I'm really happy I was able to get this chapter done so fast. My muse has been rather stubborn lately, so I was afraid this wouldn't be done until the weekend, but thankfully it all worked out! YAY!! **

**Oh, and I would like to dedicate this chapter of "Strength" to Akai Tenshi, for being my first reviewer for this new story! Thank you, Akai Tenshi!! You rock!! **

**And now, I'm going to stop ranting and shut up, so please enjoy this new chapter of "Strength"!**

**Warning:...Well, actually, there isn't much to warn about in this chapter. Just some implied bishie x bishie romance, but I assume none of you have a problem with that! ^_~**

**Disclaimer:I still don't own the bishies, and I'm still broke, so don't sue me, you'd get absolutely nothing...T.T**

********

Rei screamed and sat bolt upright in bed, sheets tangled around his slender legs. His whole body was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, his long violet hair sticking to his body with it.

Rei took deep, rasping breaths, trying his best to calm his racing heart. _A dream, that's all it was_, he though to himself. _Just a dream, another nightmare_. And yet, no matter how many times he told himself that, he could not seem to stop his body's trembling.

When he had finally managed to at least stop the worst of his shaking, Rei realized that he was alone. Looking around his room, he breathed a sigh of relief. Well, at least it seems Ruka went to his own bed tonight, Rei mused to himself. I would hate to wake him up with my screaming...again.

A few days after Ruka had first found out about Stheno's attack on Rei, the silver-haired angel had insisted that Rei stay with him every night, claiming it was for Rei's protection, seeing as they had yet to locate Stheno. However, Rei suspected the real reason was that Ruka knew how terrified Rei was of being alone after, and how, after the attack, his fear had increased ten-fold.

A few weeks after the attack, however, Rei began to insist that he start sleeping alone in his own room. While in truth, the last thing Rei wanted was to stop sleeping with Ruka, to wake up and not feel Ruka's warmth beside him, he knew he'd have to eventually. Besides, even though he knew Ruka would never say so, Rei felt like he was beginning to become a burden to the older angel, and that was the last thing he wanted.

Ruka had protested, reminding him that they still had not apprehended Stheno, but Rei argued that if Stheno was going to try something, he would have done it by now. And besides, how could he hope to get anywhere near Rei when he lived in a mansion with five of his incredibly powerful friends and comrades, including one very volatile and very protective lover.

So Rei had gone back to sleeping in his own chamber, and for a while, everything seemed to be almost back to normal.

Until the nightmares started.

It eventually got so bad that Rei was afraid to even close his eyes at night, because he knew the images that would plague his dreams if he did. So Ruka had come up with a compromise. He would stay with Rei in his room, sometimes all night, sometimes only until he fell asleep. That way, Rei could feel safe and protected from his nightmares, and at the same time begin to become re-accustomed to sleeping on his own.

And, though this solution worked most of the time, it did not work all the time, which is why Rei was incredibly thankful Ruka wasn't present when he had woken up screaming. He didn't want Ruka to know how bad his nightmares could still get.

As Rei was beginning to feel more and more calm, he also became more and more aware of how disgusting he felt, being covered in sweat like he was. He quickly disentangled his legs from his sheets and gracefully slid out of his bed, slipping a thin robe over his unclothed body. Quietly, so as not to disturb the other Saint Beasts, the small, lithe angel slipped out of his chamber and crept through the halls of Heaven's Palace, stealthily slipping out a back entrance.

Once outside, Rei instantly felt calmer. He didn't know what it was, but something about breathing in the still, fresh night air always made him feel at peace. And tonight was a full moon, which made it even better, as the moon lit everything up almost as brightly as if it were day, only instead of harsh sunlight, everything was basked in a beautiful, silver glow.

Rei sighed and made his way over to the glassy pond that was located in the center of a grove of trees right behind Heaven's Palace. It was small, private, and isolated, the perfect place for Rei to take a late night bath.

Rei slowly slipped the robe off his slender body and lowered himself into the water, gasping as the chill water hit his skin. Yet despite the temperature, the water still felt incredible against his sweat-coated body. He quickly dived under the water, wanting the cold water to wash away any trace of sweat, and with it, any lingering feelings of uneasiness his nightmare caused.

********

Ruka slowly walked the grounds of Heaven's Palace, admiring have everything seemed to be bathed in silver by the light of the moon. This seemed to be his pattern of late. After Rei had been peacefully asleep for a few hours, he would, instead of going back to his own chamber for some much needed sleep, wander all throughout the grounds of Heaven's Palace.

Honestly, if anyone asked him why he did this every night, Ruka would not be able to give them a definite answer. In truth, he didn't even know why he was doing this. But ever since Rei's nightmares had started, the silver-haired angel just couldn't seem to get a peaceful night's sleep. Every time Ruka closed his eyes, the memories he had seen in Rei's mind of Stheno and what that bastard had done to his beautiful angel just kept playing over and over behind his eyelids.

That was why Ruka had wanted Rei to sleep in his room in the first place. While part of it was out of concern for the delicate angel's safety, a good part of it was also to ensure Ruka's peace of mind. He never wanted Rei to be out of his sight again. He wanted to keep the small angel near him at all times, so that he would _know_, with absolute certainty, that Rei was safe.

But it was only a matter of time before Rei began to desire his independence back. After a couple weeks, he had insisted on sleeping on his own again. Much as Ruka tried to dissuade him, Rei wouldn't budge. So, even though it pained him deeply to do so, Ruka relented, and Rei began to sleep by himself again.

But then the nightmares started.

The first night it happened, Ruka's heart nearly jumped out of his chest when he heard Rei screaming from his chamber. He'd all but flown to Rei's room, followed closely by the other, newly awakened Saint Beasts, thinking that Stheno had somehow managed to get to the small angel. When they reached Rei's chamber, however, all they found was Rei, sitting alone on his bed, his whole body trembling and tears streaming down his beautiful face.

After that, the nightmares occurred every night, each one worse than the last. All of the Saint Beasts felt terrible knowing Rei was still so affected by what happened, but none of them knew what they could do to help. Ruka knew that Rei would refuse if he asked the smaller angel to start sleeping in his room again, but he just couldn't stand by while his beautiful, fragile angel was in so much pain. That was something Ruka would never, _ever_ do again.

So he eventually came up with a sort of compromise. He would stay with Rei in his room, sometimes all night and sometimes just until the smaller angel fell asleep. That way, Rei could still fell like he'd gained back some of his independence, while at the same time feeling secure enough that the nightmares stopped. And an added bonus for Ruka, he could now regain some of his peace of mind, having Rei sleep next to him again.

Or so he thought. Yet, despite the fact that Rei's nightmares had all but stopped, Ruka still could not shake his feelings of uneasiness and dread, which is why he found himself wandering around every night, instead of sleeping peacefully beside Rei. Even though it had been almost six months since the attack, and in that time, almost everything about the Saint Beasts' lives had returned to normal, Ruka couldn't help feeling that this whole incident was still far from over. Adding to his fears and uneasiness was the fact that, even though they had searched every inch of Heaven and Earth, they still had not located Stheno.

The very thought that that son of a bitch was still out there after what he had tried to do to Rei was enough to make Ruka blind with fury. Rei was the victim in all this, and yet he was the one who had to live with fear, the insecurity, and the scars. He suffered everyday with the knowledge of what had happened to him, and worse yet, what _could_ have happened to him.

But Stheno...Stheno hadn't received any form of punishment! That sorry excuse for an angel hadn't paid at all for what he had done to Rei, Ruka would not let that continue. He would find Stheno, and when he did...all the horrors of hell would not compare to the agony Ruka would put Stheno through.

Suddenly, Ruka heard a splashing sound coming from a grove of trees behind him. Ruka crouched low to the ground, quickly and stealthily running towards to source of the disturbance.

When Ruka finally came upon the lake, he didn't see anything at first. After a few seconds of scanning the area surrounding the water, the silver-haired angel was about to chalk the noise up to his recent paranoia, when suddenly a small figure broke through the glassy surface of the water. Ruka tensed, ready to attack, but then he froze, and found he could do nothing but stare at the beautiful being in front of him.

The moonlight shone off the figure's pearly skin, making it seem as if the being himself had a ethereal glow about him. Small droplets of water traced shining paths down his lithe body, making it seem as if his skin was imbedded with diamonds. And his long, violet hair cascaded down his body in a way that could only be described as breathtaking.

This being was by far the most beautiful creature Ruka had ever seen, and he knew that only one angel could be so absolutely, heart-breakingly beautiful. His angel. His love.

Rei.

********

**And there you have it! Chapter 2! I know, I'm evil for leaving y'all hanging like this, but I what can I say? Being evil is fun! Mwahahaha! **

**Anyway, I hope to have the next chapter out by Thursday, but depending on how unpredictable my life decides to be this week, it may not be until the weekend. So keep your fingers crossed!**

**Also...please make sure you un-cross your fingers long enough to...REVIEW!!!! Please!! I need feedback!! I need to know what y'all think! Please!!!**

**Ta ta for now!**

**~Neko-chan~**


	3. Discovery

**Hi everyone! I'm going to be doing something a little different with the introduction to this chapter. I decided to, uh..._invite_ my BFF, who also happens to have an account here, to help me out. So without further ado, here is my best friend, NinthFeather!**

**NinthFeather: *turns to readers* Hi, everybody! *turns to me*...I still have no idea what I'm doing here. And what do you mean invite?? You forcefully dragged me here!!**

**Me: Invite, force, these are relatively minor details. And I told you, you're here because you helped me plan out some of the plot for this sequel, so it's only fair that the readers get to meet you! Also, I was running out of funny things to do for my introduction.**

**NinthFeather: But I've never even seen Saint Beast!! I just helped you with a very general plot outline! And besides, I don't like Shounen-ai. I still don't understand why you like it.**

**Me: Dude, it's two amazingly gorgeous and somewhat angsty bishies loving one another. What's not to like?**

**NinthFeather:...Thank you for the incredibly disturbing mental images that statement conjured up for me.**

**Me: You know you love me! ^-^**

**NinthFeather: Yes, I do. It's the 'why' that I can't seem to figure out.**

**Me: Well, while you're thinking about that, let's get on with the fic!!**

**Warning: This chapter contains more bishie x bishie romance. If you're like NinthFeather and not into that sort of thing, leave now.**

**NinthFeather: I wish I could!! T.T**

**Me: I never said you had to read the fanfic. But yes, you are stuck here.**

**Disclaimer: I'm still broke, and I still don't own the bishies, so don't sue me!!**

**NinthFeather: Yes, she really is broke...and unemployed**

**Me: Shut up!!**

**NinthFeather: That was my revenge.**

********

Rei sighed as he enjoyed the feel of the cool water against his skin. Much as he wished he could stay like this, he knew he had to get out soon, otherwise he'd probably catch cold. And he did not exactly relish the notion of explaining to Ruka and the others how he had suddenly gotten sick, so it was best to avoid it all together.

Sighing again, this time in disappointment rather than pleasure, Rei stood up in the waist-deep water and started walking towards the bank.

He had barely walked two feet when Rei heard the sound of footsteps coming towards. The slender angel wrapped his arms around himself and ducked down in the water, trying to keep his voice steady as he shouted, "W-Who's there?"

Rei heard the sound again, this time close enough that he could discern that it was coming from behind him. He quickly turned around to face his spectator, only to let out a sound that seemed like a cross between a sigh of relief and a squeak of surprise when he saw who it was.

Ruka slowly walked toward the bathing angel, a bemused, and slightly awed, look on his face. "You know, Rei, most angels prefer to bath in the evening _before_ they prepare for sleep, not in the middle of the night when they _should_ be sleeping."

Rei flushed in embarrassment, looking down, "W-Well, I, um...I couldn't sleep, and it was such a beautiful night out, so I thought..." Rei trailed off, praying that Ruka would not detect the tremor in his voice. He still was not a very good liar.

There was silence between the two of them for a moment, then suddenly Rei heard a soft splash. Looking up, he saw Ruka, still fully clothed, had waded himself in the waist-deep water and was slowly walking towards the smaller angel.

Ruka stopped and stood in front of Rei, their bodies mere inches apart. Rei ducked his head down again, a slight flush on his face. He knew Ruka had probably caught his lie, but Rei did not want him to catch exactly how much Rei was effected by their close proximity. His own current state of undress did nothing to help his embarrassment.

"Rei, look at me," Ruka said softly. Rei was completely helpless against that voice, and Ruka knew this, so the delicate had no choice but to lift his head. Ruka's crimson eyes met Rei's golden ones, and he smiled that loving smile that never ceased to make Rei's heart skip a beat, no matter how many times he saw it.

Ruka gently laid a hand on Rei's soft cheek, "Didn't I tell you never to look away from me again?" He said, stroking his thumb across Rei's cheek bone. "It fills me with dread every moment I can't see those beautiful, expressive golden eyes of yours, so please...please keep your eyes only on me."

"And Rei..." Ruka continued, his hand leaving Rei's cheek and instead lightly grasping the now trembling angel's chin and tilting his delicate face up towards his, "Those eyes of yours cannot lie to me. So please, let me see the truth."

Rei didn't trust himself to speak. Really, it was taking all his concentration to remember how to breath in this situation, so he merely nodded and, with a little bit of reluctance, slowly let his mental shields collapse, allowing Ruka access to all his thoughts...

...and his nightmares.

********

Ruka felt Rei's mental barriers go down, and immediately he was flooded with the scenes from Rei's nightmare.

The whole thing made Ruka feel nauseated. Watching Rei tortured and terrified face as Stheno ran his filthy hands roughly over Rei's body, hearing his tear-filled voice begging and pleading for him to stop.

But the worst part by far was the end. When Rei cried out to him, to Ruka, for help, and Ruka...did nothing. No, he did worse than nothing. He actually refused to help Rei. He called him a worthless, sullied angel. And the look of despair and hopelessness in his beautiful angel's eyes as Ruka turned his back on him...it took everything Ruka had not to start sobbing.

Of course he had known Rei still had nightmares, much as Rei tried to hide that fact from him. But he had no idea they were still this bad. It made Ruka burn with hatred all the more, knowing that that bastard Stheno still caused his angel so much suffering. _Just you wait_, Ruka thought to himself as he pulled out of Rei's mind. _Just you wait. I'll find you, Stheno. If it's the last thing I do, I'll find you, you son of a bitch_.

********

Rei looked up as he felt Ruka pull out of his mind. Even though he knew it was foolish, Rei felt very anxious for some reason. He thought he'd been doing a fairly decent job at hiding the fact that he still had nightmares from Ruka, but this one had been one of the worst yet. How would Ruka react? Would he be angry at Rei for hiding this from him? Would he think Rei weak for still being so affected by this, after almost half a year? Rei could only wait nervously as Ruka's eyes slowly came back into focus.

********

**And we have yet another cliffhanger! Really, it's kinda sad how much enjoyment I derive from this.**

**NinthFeather: You really are a sadist, aren't you?**

**Me: Yes, yes I am. But I'm your sadist!!! ^-^**

**NinthFeather:...Does that make me a masochist?**

**Me:...You know, I really don't know. I'll leave you to ponder that one. ^_~**

**NinthFeather: *sigh* Don't you have some shameless review begging to do?**

**Me: Oh yeah! I almost forgot! Thanks for reminding me! *turns to readers* Ahem...PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!!! I need reviews!!! I NEED them!!! Please!!!!!**

**NinthFeather:...Wow, that really was shameless.**

**Me: *smiles proudly* Yep! Now, I should hopefully have the next chapter up this weekend, possibly sooner. It all depends.**

**NinthFeather: Yeah, on how many times you nearly kill yourself between now and then.**

**Me: But that's why I have you, Feather-chan! You keep me alive, and in a relatively undamaged condition!**

**NinthFeather: Ugh! Why do I even...wait, did you just call me Feather-chan?**

**Me: Yep! ^-^**

**See you next time!**

**~Neko-chan~ (and NinthFeather)**


	4. Comfort

**Hola peoples! And welcome to chapter 4 of "Strength"!! YES!!! *lets loose incredibly loud fangirl squeal***

**NinthFeather: Oww...thank you for the ruptured eardrum I now have.**

**Me: Oh, NinthFeather. I forgot you were there!**

**NinthFeather:...You know, if you're just going to forget that I'm even here, why don't you just let me leave?**

**Me: See, I could do that, but it would conflict with my sadistic nature. So I'm not going to! ^-^**

**NinthFeather: *grumbles* Fine, but you are _so_ going into my Tsubasa RC character interaction. And you're going to fight with Kurogane.**

**Me: Cool!!**

**NinthFeather: I didn't say you'd win the fight**

**Me: O.O Not cool!!!**

**NinthFeather: Yeah, well, neither is forcing your non-Shounen-ai fangirl friend to introduce your Saint Beast fanfic.**

**Me: But, but... *gives NinthFeather big Bambi eyes***

**NinthFeather: You know that doesn't...*sigh* ok, so that always works on me...fine, you can win the fight with Kurogane.**

**Me: YAY!! Victory for Neko-chan!!**

**NinthFeather: -.-' I am such a push-over.**

**Me: Yes you are. But I love you for it!**

**NinthFeather:...Just shut up and get on with your fic.**

**Me: Ok!! ^-^**

**Warning: There is LOTS of bishie x bishie romance in this chapter, so if you don't like--**

**NinthFeather: RUN!!!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own the bishies, and this hurts me deeply.**

**NinthFeather: You'll get over it.**

**Me: No I won't!!! T.T**

********

When Ruka had completely pulled himself out of Rei's consciousness, he looked down and met Rei's anxious gaze. Gently Ruka took his hand away from Rei's face, but instead of pulling away from him altogether as Rei feared, Ruka wrapped his arm around Rei's bare waist, pulling the smaller angel flush against his chest, his other hand burying itself in Rei's silky hair.

"Rei, that will never happen," the older angel said softly, embracing the other tightly. "I will never, _never_ abandon you. I could no sooner cut you out of my life than I could cut off my own wings. You're a part of me, Rei. I don't know when it happened, I don't know how it happened. And quite frankly, I don't care."

Ruka pulled back to look the blushing angel in the face, "And I have never, nor will I ever, see you as sullied or worthless," he said, gently stroking Rei's cheek with the back of his hand. "On the contrary, you are more breathtakingly beautiful than any of the treasures Heaven or Earth has to offer, and infinitely more precious."

Rei sighed and leaned his head against Ruka's shoulder, allowing the older angel to wrap his other arm around his slender waist in order to pull the small angel even closer. "Thank you. Ruka. I don't know how I could have possibly gotten through this without you. You're always there for me."

Ruka didn't say anything, and just tightened his hold on the lithe angel in his arms. _No, I haven't always been there for you, Rei,_ he thought to himself, his hands lightly tracing the scars that criss-crossed across Rei's back. _In fact, when you needed me the most, I completely failed you._ If he had only gone after Rei that day when he'd flown off on his own, or if he'd thought to go look for him sooner, then maybe his angel wouldn't have gone through such pain, and maybe he wouldn't still be suffering now.

Concerned by Ruka's silence, Rei pulled back to look Ruka in the face. All it took was one glance, and he immediately knew all that was going through Ruka's mind. While Rei may not have been able to know another's thoughts with a single touch, he knew Ruka. Every thought. Every expression. Every emotion. He knew them all. And so Rei knew that at that moment, he wasn't the only one who was in pain.

Using a boldness he did not know he had, Rei reached up and gently took Ruka's face in his hands, forcing the surprised angel to look down at him. "Ruka, listen to me," the smaller angel said sternly. "What happened to me is no more your fault than it is mine. Do you hear me? It is not. Your. Fault."

Ruka looked taken aback for a moment at Rei's unexpected outburst, but then he sighed sadly. "Rei, you don't understand. I should have been there. I should have protected you. I'm always telling you how much you mean to me, and how much I love you, and yet I couldn't even be there when you needed me the most." Ruka let his arms fall away from Rei and turned his head away, fighting the stinging sensation that was building behind his eyes.

Rei knew he should feel happy about how deeply Ruka cared for him, however, even though his heart went out to his hurting love, Rei could not help but feel a surge of anger at Ruka's words.

Rei took a couple steps back from the taller angel, clenching his fists under the water. "Ruka, the more fault you take upon yourself, the more you make it clear that I am truly the one to blame."

Ruka's head snapped back to Rei, a stunned expression on his face. "Rei, what—,"

"Think about it, Ruka! I am as much a member of the Saint Beasts as you and the others, so I shouldn't need you to protect me! I should have been able to fight Stheno off on my own! I shouldn't have let him..." Rei trailed off, trying very hard to suppress the unpleasant memories his words had brought to the surface.

"Ruka, you can't take all that happened to me upon yourself," Rei said when he finally continued, his voice shaking and his eyes shining with unshed tears. "If you truly believe that what happened was not my fault, then believe me when I say that it was not your fault either. So please," Rei said as the tears started running down his cheeks, "Please stop blaming yourself! You always say you can't stand to see me in pain. Well, I can't stand to see you in pain either! And I...I can live with the pain of what Stheno did to me, but knowing that what he did is causing you to suffer as well...I-I can't handle that...it hurts...too much..." Rei stopped, his tears keeping him from saying any more.

Ruka quickly closed the space between them and once again took the crying angel into his arms. "Rei...Rei, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he said, his voice clouded with emotion as he held the trembling angel tightly against him, gently stroking his violet hair. "I didn't mean to cause you so much pain. You're right. Of course you're right. I was being foolish. I'm so sorry."

Ruka continued stroking Rei's hair and whispering soothing words to him until the smaller angel calmed down. When he finally stopped crying Rei blushed and looked up at Ruka sheepishly, "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose control like that..."

Ruka smiled and tenderly brushed a lingering tear off the blushing angel's face. "You never need to apologize for crying in front of me. You know that."

Rei smiled as well, snuggling closer to Ruka's warmth, "Thank you, Ruka. I-I love you."

Ruka smiled widened at the nervous stutter in Rei's voice. _Even after all this time, he's still so __adorable_, he thought. "I love you, too, Rei." _More than you could ever imagine._

They stayed like that for a while, just enjoying each others presence, until Rei suddenly shivered. Ruka pulled away slightly to look down at the delicate angel, suddenly becoming very aware of his current state of undress. "Rei, are you cold? Maybe we should head back inside," Then the taller angel smirked and bent down to whisper in Rei's ear, "Or, if you like, I could warm you up right here..."

Rei blushed a deep crimson and shivered again, though this time it had nothing to do with the cold. He too was suddenly very much aware of his current lack of clothing. "R-Ruka...I-I think we should—,"

But whatever Rei had been planning on saying was quickly wiped from his mind as Ruka firmly, but gently, captured his lips in a spine-tingling, completely Earth-shattering kiss. Deciding that whatever he had planned on saying could not be nearly as important as what his lips were currently occupied with, Rei sighed contently and completely gave himself over to Ruka and his love.

********

"You keep telling me patience, patience, patience! Well when is all this patience of mine going to pay off?" Stheno shouted at the two men seated in front of him. He was getting sick of waiting, sick of watching. He wanted to capture his little bird now, and remind him just to whom he truly belonged. Especially after tonight...

Just the thought of what he'd witnessed tonight made Stheno clench his fists in anger. His little bird had been so beautiful, bathing in the moonlit lake. But then that damn Ruka came. Stheno growled at the thought of that Saint Beast putting his hands all over Stheno's possession. Kissing him, touching him...

"It's been almost six months, and still nothing! When will I be able to get what I desire?" Stheno snarled, glaring up at the two former angels seated on a dais in front of him.

"I know you are quite exasperated with the situation at present, but please continue to exercise a bit of patience," the figure with long, black hair said smoothly. "If all goes according to plan, not only will you capture that 'little bird' of yours, but we will acquire the rest of those Saint Beasts as well," The former angel smiled.

The white-haired figure next to him smiled as well, "Yes, and then, the true game can begin."

********

**Well y'all, there you have it, chapter 4. **

**NinthFeather: And of course, you had to end it with yet another cliffhanger. Really, do you have any compassion towards your readers?**

**Me: Of course I do!! But sadism beats out compassion any day!**

**NinthFeather:...Your philosophies on life never cease to disturb me.**

**Me: Oh well. I can live with that. Anyway, just for those of you who didn't guess this already, the two former angels at the end were none other than Lucifer and Gabriel. That's right, I'm bringing in villains from the actual series into my fanfic!! Woot!!**

**NinthFeather:...and you are excited about this...why?**

**Me: Because Lucifer and Gabriel are awesome!! In a demonic, creepy sort of way.**

**NinthFeather: So in other words, they're just like you.**

**Me: That was mean!**

**NinthFeather: Tell me it's not true.**

**Me: I didn't say it wasn't true, but it was still mean!! T.T**

**NinthFeather: Oh, just go do some more shameless review begging. It'll make you feel better.**

**Me: Ok! *turns to readers* PLEASE GIVE ME REVIEWS!!!!! I AM THE ULTIMATE REVIEW JUNKIE, AND I NEED MY FIX!!! FEED THE JUNKIE!!! **

**NinthFeather:...You're starting to scare me.**

**Me: Only starting?**

**NinthFeather: Good point. You've always scared me.**

**Me: Thank you! Now, I should have the next chapter out sometime this weekend, at the latest by Monday.**

**NinthFeather: Please pray that she lets me go by then.**

**Me: Not a chance, NinthFeather.**

**Adios for now!**

**~Neko-chan~**


	5. Embarrassed

**I'm so incredibly sorry!!!! I really, truly am! I honestly meant to have this chapter out earlier, but things just kept getting in the way! I blame sleep deprivation and really high fevers!!!**

**NinthFeather: You know, maybe you wouldn't be so sleep deprived if you actually, I don't know, _slept_ at night!**

**Me: But that's no fun! And besides, if I did that, when would I study and update my fanfics?**

**NinthFeather: You know, most people do that during that _day_! You know, when the sun's out.**

**Me: Well, you should know by now that I'm not most people.**

**NinthFeather: Yes, I should know that. Oh well, it is still my goal on life to get you to sleep for eight hours straight at least once!**

**Me: I'd wish you luck with that, but honestly I think we both know it's never gonna happen, so why bother?**

**NinthFeather: I retain my cock-eyed optimism.**

**Me: You know, there's a fine line between optimism and denial.**

**NinthFeather: And I have erased that line.**

**Me: Yes, yes you have. I'm glad to see you've finally excepted this.**

**NinthFeather: Just shut up and get on with your fic.**

**Me: Ok! ^-^**

**Warning: Once again, there is quite a bit of bishie x bishie romance in here. If you don't like it--**

**NinthFeather: Then I suggest you hit that back arrow as fast as you possibly can.**

**Disclaimer:...**

**NinthFeather: Oh, just say it!**

**Me: No!**

**NinthFeather: You're being incredibly immature about this.**

**Me: I never claimed to be mature. Infact, I seem to remember denying it on several occasions.**

**NinthFeather: Ugh! Fine! I'll do it. KuroNekoShoujo does not own Saint Beast, and she never will, no matter how much she may try to avoid it!**

**Me: *cries***

********

The first thing Rei became aware of after he woke up was how incredibly comfortable and content he felt. A small smile came came over his face as he tried to remember the last time he'd felt this good. Sighing the violet-haired angel decided it didn't matter and snuggled closer to the warm body sleeping next to him.

Of course it came as no surprise to him that the reason for his comfort was that he was wrapped in a sleeping Ruka's arms. Lately, the only times he could feel even remotely relaxed was when he was close to or touching Ruka. After what happened with Stheno, just seeing him wsoasn't enough. Rei needed to feel the older angel's presence. And no matter how many times Rei woke up in Ruka's arms, the feeling of loving protection, the feeling of being truly safe, never changed.

Rei was surprised, however, to find that, while Ruka was still dressed in his angelic robes from the previous day, Rei himself was not wearing anything at all.

Rei felt his face heat up as he remembered the events of the night before. While nothing truly...intimate had happened between them last night, the two had certainly done quite a bit more than just share a bed.

As silently as possible, Rei disentangled himself from Ruka's arms and got up from the bed, careful not to disturb his sleeping love. One thing Rei was quite grateful for was that, though the both of them had definitely not been paying any amount of attention to their surroundings last night, they had ended up in Rei's room, which meant he wouldn't have to leave in order to change.

Rei had just finished securing the last fastener on his angelic robes, when he felt two arms encircle his slender waist from behind. Rei let out a startled yelp as he was pulled against the lean, muscled chest of the angel behind him, but quickly recovered and relaxed against the warm body. "G-Good morning, Ruka," he stammered, a renewed blush coloring his cheeks.

"Mm, good morning, Rei," Ruka murmured as he softly pressed his lips against Rei's pale throat, causing the smaller angel's blush to worsen. "You weren't planning to sneak away again, were you, love?"

Rei smiled. He would never tire of hearing Ruka call him that. "Of course not. What reason would I have to sneak away from you?" he replied, turning in Ruka's arms so he was facing the silver-haired angel.

Ruka smiled lovingly down at his beautiful angel. "Good," he said softly, leaning down to capture Rei's soft lips with his.

"Oi! Rei, you awake? Have you seen Ruka? He wasn't in his room this morning and we thought he might be with—," Gai shouted as he loudly slammed open the door to Rei's chamber, not bothering to knock. Gai smirked when he saw the two angels together. "Gou! I found Ruka!" Gai called over his shoulder.

Rei's entire face turned a deep crimson and he tried to pull away from Ruka, but the taller angel kept his arms lightly locked around the delicate angel's waist, so all Rei could do was turn in Ruka's arms to glare at the small blonde angel in the doorway. "G-Gai! Don't just barge into people's private rooms without permission!"

The cat-like angel's smirk merely grew, and he looked about to say something that Rei was sure would manage to turn him an even deeper shade of red, when a large, tan hand came and smacked the blonde angel over the head, effectively cutting off whatever he had been about to say.

"Oww! What the hell, Gou?" Gai growled, glaring up at the taller angel.

Gou was completely unfazed by the smaller angel's anger, "You should know to knock before entering someone else's chamber, Gai. Now come, leave those two alone," he said, grabbing Gai by the collar of his robe and dragging him from the room. "Oh, and by the way," Gou called casually to Rei and Ruka over his shoulder, "When you tow are finished, come down to breakfast. We're planning on having a training session as soon as it's finished, so don't take too long." Gou then proceeded to drag the struggling blonde angel out to the courtyard for breakfast.

When they were both finally gone, there was a moment of dead silence in the room, as both angels thought over what had just transpired.

Rei could not remember a time when he had been more embarrassed! Gai, Gai of all people, had seen him and Ruka...Oh Rei would never hear the end of it! And then Gou came in too! After all that, Rei wasn't sure his face would ever regain its normal color.

The silence was eventually broken when Ruka, unable to control himself any longer, started laughing uncontrollably, his arms that were still around Rei's waist shaking with the force of his laughter.

Rei looked back at him in shock, wondering how he could possibly be laughing at a time like this. There was nothing about this situation that was even remotely funny! But seeing the confused and outraged expression on the petite angel's face only seemed to send the taller angel into fresh peels of laughter.

"I-I'm sorry...Rei...but the...the look on your face...when Gai came in...was just so..." Ruka could barely manage to form words, he was laughing so hard.

At first, Rei was outraged and slightly offended at Ruka's apparent disregard for the seriousness of the situation. Rei was never going to live this down! But, after seeing the completely unguarded on Ruka's face as he laughed, Rei couldn't help but smile and chuckle a bit himself. He still didn't find anything about the situation funny in the least, but it had been a long time since he had seen that look on Ruka's face. Come to think of it, it had been a long time since Rei had heard Ruka's laugh! _Well, if this is what it takes to make him laugh like that_, Rei thought to himself, _then I suppose I can deal with a few taunts from Gai._

When they both had finally stopped laughing, Ruka reached up a hand and gently brushed some of Rei's violet hair out of his face. "You're so beautiful, Rei," he said softly, almost reverently, his unguarded smile still on his face. "I don't know what I could have possibly done to deserve you, but I love you, so very much."

Rei smiled up at his silver-haired lover, "Ruka, it's not a matter of whether one of us deserves the other. We belong together. You're my other half, my only one. Not being with you would be like never being able to fly again. It wouldn't be a life, just an empty existence."

Ruka seemed almost speechless at Rei's declaration, so Rei took the initiative and reached up to close the gap between their faces, "I love you," he whispered to Ruka, before connecting their lips in a soft, hesitant kiss.

Ruka quickly recovered from his shock and closed his eyes, pulling Rei closer to deepen the kiss. Rei pressed himself as close to Ruka as he possibly could, never wishing to part from his love. Yes, they would, unfortunately, have to break apart and face deal Gai's smirks and taunts, in addition to the knowing looks from the other Saint Beasts but for right now, Rei wanted to forget everything. Everything, except the warmth of Ruka's body, and the feel of Ruka's lips against his own.

********

**Well, there you have it! Chapter 5! I hoped you all enjoyed it!**

**NinthFeather: Wow, I'm impressed.**

**Me: Why?**

**NinthFeather: You actually managed to end a chapter without a cliffhanger.**

**Me: Hey! Not all my chapters end in cliffhangers!**

**NinthFeather: Yes, they do.**

**Me: Ok, yes they do. But I am capable of some compassion towards my readers!**

**NinthFeather:...Really?**

**Me: It hurts me how surprised you sound.**

**NinthFeather: You'll get over it. Now, get on with your shameless review begging.**

**Me: Fine. *turns to readers* Please please PLEASE give me reviews!!! I really want to know what ya'll think, good or bad! Even if you just want to yell at me for being late, I really want to hear from you!**

**NinthFeather:...You're really desperate, aren't you?**

**Me: Yes, yes I am. But like I said before, I'm a review junkie, and I NEED my fix!!!**

**NinthFeather: *sigh* What am I going to do with you?**

**Me: You've been asking that question since the day you met me. If you don't have an answer by now, I don't think you're going to get one.**

**NinthFeather: Remind me again why I put up with you?**

**Me: Because you love me!! ^-^**

**NinthFeather:...still don't know why**

**Me: *ignores NinthFeather* Anyway, I should have the next chapter out by Friday at the latest, so cross your fingers that I actually finish on time!!**

**NinthFeather: You? On time? That'd be a first.**

**Me: Shut up.**

**Ta ta for now, my lovlies!**

**Neko-chan (and NinthFeather)**


	6. Accident

**Hi peoples! And welcome to chapter 6 of "Strength"!!! This chapter gave me quite a bit of trouble, but I'm still really excited about it!**

**NinthFeather: Why?**

**Me: Why did it give me trouble or why am I excited about it?**

**NinthFeather: Neither. I mean why haven't you let me go yet???**

**Me: *sigh* Feather-chan, can't you at least pretend to be excited about the fanfic?**

**NinthFeather: When you hold me here against my will, you lose the right to comment about my attitude.**

**Me: *whines* But Feather-chan...**

**NinthFeather: And stop calling me Feather-chan! Or so help me, I will put in you in my Tsubasa character interaction, and you WILL lose a fight with Kurogane!!**

**Me: *perks up* Oh, that reminds me! I did make a guest appearance in the character interaction of chapter 7 of Feather-chan's Tsubasa RC fanfic "Sealed Wings". So if you want to read an excellent Tsubasa fanfic, or you just want to see me kick Kurogane's butt, please check it out!!**

**NinthFeather: You know, you're also in chapter 8 as well.**

**Me: Yeah, I know, but I don't want them to read that one!**

**NinthFeather: Why?**

**Me: Because I got rejected by Fai!! For a guy!!**

**NinthFeather: *smirks* Yeah, an old fat guy, at that.**

**Me: TT_TT You're not helping me here, Feather-chan.**

**NinthFeather: Not trying to.**

**Me: You're so mean!! What did I ever do to you?**

**NinthFeather:...Do you really need me to answer that question?**

**Me:...No, I guess I don't. Anyway, on with the fic!!!**

**Warning: Well, there's not a whole lot of bishie x bishie romance in this chapter, but there is a bit of violence, so no like, no read**

**NinthFeather: Wow, I didn't know it was possible for you to write a chapter that didn't have any Shounen-ai fluff.**

**Me:...You've never read my first Saint Beast fanfic, have you?**

**Disclaimer:...**

**NinthFeather: *sigh* I guess I have to do this again. KuroNekoShoujo does not own Saint Beast or any of the characters within. *mutters under breath* Even though she's too childish to admit it herself...**

**Me: Hey! I heard that! **

**NinthFeather: Good.**

********

When Ruka and Rei finally arrived in the courtyard, everyone else was already nearly finished with their meal. Never the less, the two angels sat down to eat and chat with the others.

Rei did his best to ignore the knowing smirks Gai kept aiming in his direction, but despite his best efforts, his face was still a light shade of pink within a few minutes.

Shin noticed Rei flushed face and looked over at him, concerned. "Rei, are you alright? Your face seems a bit flushed. You don't have a fever do you?"

Gai snickered and Rei's blush deepened. He kept his gaze fixed down at the table, refusing to look at any of his fellow Saint Beasts. "N-No, Shin. I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Shin looked unconvinced, but, sensing Rei's discomfort, let the subject drop. Ruka, also sensing his angel's discomfort and, unlike Shin, knowing the reason behind it, suppressed an amused smile and draped a comforting arm around Rei's slim shoulders. Rei, despite knowing that this would probably only worsen Gai's taunting, could not help but relax into the feeling of security and love the gesture brought.

Sure enough, Gai immediately opened his mouth to make some comment that Rei was sure would turn him completely red, but thankfully, Gou took pity on the feminine angel and started speaking with Gai about that afternoon's training session, effectively distracting the cat-like angel.

When they had all finished with their meal, the six Saint Beasts left for their usual training area in a valley just outside the grounds of Heaven's Palace. It was the perfect area for all of them to train, because not only was it isolated by the high, rocky walls that surrounded three sides of the valley, it had many different kinds of terrain. Half of the valley was made up of dense forest, while the other was rocky, uneven cliff faces. A large river also ran right through the center of the valley. In other words, it was the perfect training spot.

Soon after they arrived, the Saint Beasts paired off and began sparring. Gou with Gai, Yuda with Shin, and Ruka with Rei. Yuda and Shin mainly worked in the wooded area of the valley, as they wished to practice evading attacks without having a good visual on their opponent. Gai and Gou worked mainly in the rocky cliff area, because Gai was trying to learn to better control his Earth powers. And Ruka and Rei were sparring in the air, as their wings were their greatest asset, and they needed to be able to use them to the best of their abilities in combat.

Rei sighed as he and Ruka took off into the air. He had not been looking forward to this training session. It was not that he didn't want to train and spar with the other Saint Beasts. Quite the opposite, in fact, the delicate looking angel always looked forward to these training sessions. But that was before what happened with Stheno. Now, every time they sparred together, Rei could sense that Ruka was holding back, like he was afraid of hurting him, and it aggravated the delicate angel to no end.

And what angered Rei even more was that, when he had broached the subject with Ruka, thinking it might just have been his imagination, the silver-haired angel hadn't even bothered to deny it! On the contrary, he had flat told Rei that, yes, he had been holding back, but he was doing it for fear of hurting the smaller angel.

"Rei, what happened with Stheno affected you. Sometimes you freeze up, or lose your focus. If that were to happen when we were sparring, you could be seriously hurt," Ruka had said calmly.

"But Ruka," Rei had pleaded, trying to reason with him, "That's exactly why it's important that you don't hold back during training! I need to learn to cope with this without letting it have an effect on my performance as a Saint Beast. If I can't learn to retain my focus during our sparring sessions, what will happen when we're actually on a mission and I'm forced to fight? Wouldn't it be better to risk injury with you than to risk death with demons?"

But no matter how much Rei argued and pleaded with him, Ruka still wouldn't relent. Rei sighed again as he and Ruka leveled out their ascent mid-way up the valley wall, preparing to spar. Really, even though Rei loved Ruka with his whole heart and soul, and most of the time Rei was incredibly grateful for Ruka's fierce protectiveness towards him, there were times, like now, when the effeminate angel found his lover's stubbornness to be indescribably frustrating.

And so their sparring session commenced. Even though Rei was loathe to admit it, he had to say that, even though he could tell Ruka was still holding back, he still had a difficult time countering his partner's attacks. _Not that I'll ever tell him that_, Rei thought, grimacing at the very notion, as he dodged a blow aimed at his ribs.

Yet, where as Ruka relied mostly on strength and power in a fight, Rei, due in large part to his small stature, relied on speed and agility as his main weapon. Really, it was only when Ruka caught Rei off guard that he had any chance of landing a blow on the smaller angel, but, as Ruka had pointed out, that had been happening more and more often since what happened with Stheno.

They had only been sparring for about an hour when the two angels heard shouting coming from the ground. Looking down, they saw Gou gesturing at them, looking almost panicked, shouting something they couldn't make out from their altitude. Yuda and Shin had also left the forested area where they had been training and were sprinting towards where Gou stood, similarly stricken expressions on their faces.

Rei and Ruka were both equally confused as to what had their friends so anxious. Ruka started to fly lower, trying to make out what Gou was shouting, while Rei flew up higher and scanned the ground, attempting to pinpoint exactly what it was that had his comrades so panicked.

And then he saw it.

The source of the panic came in the form of a small, blonde angel. Apparently, in sparring with Gou, Gai had opened up a fissure in the ground, using his Earth powers. However, what the cat-like angel had not anticipated was that, once opened, the crack would not stop. It had continued even when it reached the valley wall, branching off into several other, smaller cracks as it ascended the side. Because of this, a large part of the high cliff face was beginning to collapse.

Thankfully, both Gou and Gai, as well as Yuda and Shin, were at a safe enough distance from the cliff side that they were not in any peril, and Rei was enough to have been clear of any danger.

But Ruka was not.

Rei felt his entire being grow cold with terror at this realization. Without even pausing to consider his next course of action, Rei dove down towards his silver-haired angel with every ounce of speed he had in him.

It didn't feel like enough. Rei felt like he was moving in slow motion. He could hear the cliff face collapsing behind him. He saw Ruka turn towards him, his beautiful face morphing into a look of surprise and horror. Using every bit of strength he had in his small body, Rei slammed himself into Ruka, knocking the other to the ground beside Yuda, and out of harms way.

Rei barely had time to feel relieved before he felt a large, heavy boulder slam against his back, sending so much mind-numbing pain through his body that it stole his breath away. This was followed almost instantly by another boulder crashing down on to his right wing, causing it to crumple against his body and sending him free-falling towards the ground.

Horrible, burning pain seared through every nerve in Rei's body as he hit the ground. He vaguely aware that more boulders were crashing to the ground around him, but he was too far gone to care. Just before he completely slipped away, though, Rei became dimly aware of a voice screaming his name. It took his pain muddled brain a few seconds to register that it was Ruka. Rei smiled to himself. If Ruka was screaming his name, that meant that he was alright. That he was alive. This was Rei's last coherent thought before another, smaller boulder crashed against his forehead, sending so much blinding pain through his skull that the beautiful, bloodied angel gratefully slipped into unconsciousness.

********

**It's the return of the sadistic cliffhanger!!! YAY!!!**

**NinthFeather: What do you mean "yay"? You're torturing your readers!**

**Me: Yep! ^-^**

**NinthFeather:...You really are evil, aren't you?**

**Me: Please tell me you're not just realizing this now.**

**NinthFeather: -.-' Just go beg for your reviews.**

**Me: REVIEW!!! I am a review junkie with yakuza connections, and you do not want to see what happens when a yakuza with access to sharp objects goes through withdraw!! So it's in your best interest to review!!! REVIEW!!!**

**NinthFeather:...The scary thing is that I pretty sure she's serious.**

**Me: ^-^ Anyway, I'm hoping to have the next chapter out by Sunday, but don't hold me to that. Me and deadlines don't really mix.**

**NinthFeather: No, you just purposefully ignore them.**

**Me: Exactly.**

**NinthFeather:...I give up.**

**Me: Why did you even try in the first place?**

**NinthFeather:...**

**Until next time, my lovelies!!**

**~Neko-chan~**


	7. Found

**OMG!!! I actually managed to get this chapter out semi-on time!! This is a huge deal!! Woot!! XD**

**NinthFeather:...**

**Me: Feather-chan? Are you ok? Normally this would be the time where you insult me with some kind of sarcastic comment.**

**NinthFeather:...I'm still in a state of shock that you actually finished something..._on time_.**

**Me: I find that slightly insulting.**

**NinthFeather: I'm sorry, remind of the last time you actually _honored_ a deadline?**

**Me:...**

**NinthFeather: My point exactly.**

**Me: -.-' Shut up.**

**NinthFeather: You're just mad because you know I'm right.**

**Me: I said shut up!! **

**NinthFeather: You know, if you just got things done on time, we wouldn't have to have this argument so often.**

**Me: Are you my best friend or my mother?**

**NinthFeather: Well, since being your best friend usually means playing your mother, I guess I'm both.**

**Me: Well, before you turn this conversation into yet another lecture, let's get on with the fic.**

**Warning: Not much bishie x bishie romance, but there is a hell of a lot of bishie abuse here, so no like, no read.**

**NinthFeather: Can you ever just have a normal chapter with no need for a warning?**

**Me: But where's the fun in that?**

**Disclaimer:...**

**NinthFeather: *smacks me over the head***

**Me: Ouch! Ok, fine...*sigh* I do not own the bishies of Saint Beast...**

**NinthFeather: Now was that really so hard?**

**Me: Yes!! TT_TT**

********

During those brief, yet unimaginably painful seconds, Ruka's senses seemed to be unnaturally heightened. He could clearly see the relief on Rei's face turn to agony as the first of the boulders crashed into his delicate body. He could hear the sickening crunch as another crushed his right wing, sending him spiraling toward the ground. And he could swear he felt the excruciating pain that Rei felt when he slammed into the ground as if it were his own.

His own voice rang in his ears as Ruka screamed the smaller angel's name. It took the combines strength of both Yuda and Gou to keep the hysterical angel from sprinting over to his unconscious lover as half the cliff-side collapsed on top of the wounded angel.

When the boulders had finally stopped falling, there was a moment of dead silence in the valley. Ruka had ceased his struggles against Yuda and Gou's hold and just stared at the spot where Rei had landed, which was now covered in mountain of rocks and debris.

He couldn't process it. He just couldn't. His small, beautiful angel could not be buried under all that. He just couldn't be, because if he was, that would mean...

That would mean...

"No!" Ruka shouted, tearing his arms from Yuda and Gou's grip and running over to the pile of rocks. Getting down on his hands and knees, he frantically began digging through all the debris. "Rei! Rei are you alright? Rei please...please answer me! Say something Rei! Anything! Please..."

Ruka felt someone come up beside him and start digging next to him. He turned, expecting to see Gou or Yuda, and was faintly surprised to find Gai kneeling next to him.

The small angel was digging almost as desperately as Ruka was. "Rei, come on! This isn't funny! You've got to answer, otherwise, how are we supposed to find you? Come on Rei, please? I promise, I'll never tease you and Ruka again, so just please..." Gai's voice broke as tears slid down his face. Honestly, Ruka could not remember a single time he'd seen the little blonde angel cry.

The rest of the Saint Beasts soon came over and began digging and Calling Rei's name along with Gai and Ruka, but Ruka barely noticed when they did. All he knew was that he had to find his angel, his love.

His Rei.

********

The first thing Rei became aware of was the unbelievable pain that seemed to burn throughout every pore of his body. Rei moaned quietly and slowly opened his eyes, but even that small movement seemed to bring the wounded angel pain.

Still, he knew he'd have to at least sit up, if only to establish how bad the damage to the rest of his body was. Going at an almost agonizingly slow pace, Rei pushed himself into a sitting position using his arms. Almost instantly his right shoulder, as well as his entire abdomen, began to shriek in protest. Rei let out a muted scream of pain and turned to look at his arm. He knew immediately that his shoulder was dislocated. His arm hung almost limp at an unnatural angle, and his entire shoulder had already begun to turn various shades of purple and black.

His abdomen wasn't that much better. It only took one glance for Rei to deduce that most, if not all of the ribs on the right side of his body were broken, and the skin itself was in the process of turning the same color as his shoulder.

Rei sat up straighter and, trying his best to fight back the wave of dizziness and nausea that threatened to overwhelm him, surveyed his surroundings carefully. He soon realized that, while, he was still alive, he was completely encased in a veritable cage of boulders and debris. Really, the only reason he was still alive was that he'd had the good fortune to land underneath a slight outcropping of rock from the cliff wall, which effectively shielded most of his body from the worst of the collapse. It was also why most of the damage he suffered seemed to be concentrated on the right side of his body.

Rei then noticed, with some degree of shock and panic, that he couldn't feel his right leg. He soon found out why. His entire leg up to his knee was pinned under a large boulder. Rei sighed. While he was worried about what not being able to feel his leg might mean, at least it wasn't causing him any pain.

Rei also noticed that, although he had not consciously done it as he usually did, his wings had disappeared back into his body. This both confused and worried him, because even though they were completely gone, he could still feel a throbbing pain coming from his right wing. Normally, he would not feel anything from his wings once they had disappeared.

Rei knew he should probably be more concerned about the extent of his injuries, but for some reason, he just couldn't seem to gather up the energy to care. _Maybe I should just rest my eyes for a little while..._Rei thought groggily to himself. He took a deep breath and slowly lowered himself back onto the hard ground. _Yes, if I just rest for a short while, then I can think of a way to...to..._but already, Rei was having a hard time remembering what it was he should be doing. A small part of his mind was screaming at him not to fall asleep, but he was just too exhausted to remember why it was a bad idea.

Just as he was about to slip into the black comfort of unconsciousness, he heard what sound like distant voices calling his name, along with the loud, grating sound of boulders being shifted. _So noisy..._Rei thought sluggishly, _I can't...sleep..._

Then, for some reason, one of the voices struck a nerve in Rei, and felt the overwhelming urge to answer that call. He knew the voice belonged to some important, but he just couldn't seem to remember who...

Suddenly the answer snapped into his pain-muddled mind. _Ruka! It's Ruka!_ His brain shouted at him. _You need to answer him! You absolutely must!_

Rei gathered up what little strength he had left and called out as loud as he could manage, "R-Ruka! Ruka, I'm here!"

Suddenly the grating noises stopped. "Rei?" called Ruka. "Rei is that you? Please, call out again Rei!"

No sound had ever sounded so beautiful to Rei as the sound of his love's voice right then. "Ruka! I-I'm here! I'm here, Ruka!"

The grating sounds started up again, this time closer and even more frantic. "Rei, I hear you! Just hold on! Just hold n for a few more minutes!"

Rei tried, but those few minutes felt like a few hours to him. Shouting for Ruka had also taken up every ounce of energy he'd had left, and he just felt so tired...

Just as his eyes were about to flutter shut, the boulders above his head were suddenly ripped away, and a bright light shone directly on his face, causing him to wince and shut his eyes. Then he felt something warm and familiar brush softly against his cheek and a soft voice call, "Rei?"

With some degree of difficulty, Rei managed to fight his drowsiness and forced his eye lids back open. When he did, he was greeted with the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Ruka was leaning through the opening he had made above Rei's head, and was smiling gently, albeit worriedly, at the wounded angel below him as he gently stroked his cheek. The sunlight filtered through the edges of the opening, giving Ruka golden aura around his head, almost like a holy glow.

To Rei, Ruka had never looked more like an angel than he did at that moment. His beautiful, wonderful, guardian angel. Rei's last thought before the blackness engulfed him was how grateful he was that it was him lying under these boulders, and not the beautiful creature above him.

********

**And there it is! Chapter 7. I know it's another cliffhanger, but at least it's not as bad as the last one!**

**NinthFeather: You know, one of these days one of your readers is just going to kill you out of frustration from all these cliffhangers.**

**Me: O.O My readers wouldn't do that!! They like me!!**

**NinthFeather:...You just keep telling yourself that.**

**Me: I shall!! ^-^ Now, on to the shameless review begging...ahem...REVIEW!!!! I NEED REVIEWS!!! IF I DON'T GET REVIEWS, BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN!!! SO IN ORDER TO AVOID THE MASS DESTRUCTION THAT WILL ENSUE SHOULD I NOT GET MY REVIEW FIX, PLEASE JUST REVIEW!!!!**

**NinthFeather: Wow, in all caps this time. You must really want reviews.**

**Me: Yep! Now, I have other stories besides this one that I have been neglecting terribly these past couple weeks, so I must work on them as well! Hopefully I will have the next chapter of this out by Friday, but no promises.**

**NinthFeather: *sigh* You really are much too cruel to your readers.**

**Me: Yep!! But they love me anyway...I hope...*sweatdrop***

**Adios, mi amigas (and amigos)!!**

**~Neko-chan~**


	8. News

**I'M SO SORRY!!!!! I know I took WAY too long to get this next chapter out, and I know most of you are probably ready to throw those Neko-chan voodoo dolls into the nearest meat grinder, but please believe me when I say I really am truly sorry!!! I'm worthless as an author!!! **

**NinthFeather:...**

**Me: Um...Feather-chan? This would be the part where my _best friend_ comes in and denies that last statement with everything she's got.**

**NinthFeather: Huh? What? I'm sorry, were you talking to me?**

**Me: Do you see any other Neko-chan best friends around here?**

**NinthFeather: Well, excuse me. I didn't know it was customary to kidnap and hold your best friends against their will, and then still expect them to come to your defense.**

**Me: It is for a yakuza!! ^-^**

**NinthFeather: You're hopless.**

**Me: Yep! And proud of it, too!**

**NinthFeather: That last statement scares me far more than I could ever put into words.**

**Me: Oh well. On with the fic!!**

**Warning: Well, not much to warn about in this chapter, except for Pandora's overall slimeyness.**

**NinthFeather: That's not very nice.**

**Me: I'm the author. I don't have to be nice. In fact, it's my prerogative to be downright nasty! XD**

**Disclaimer:...In order to avoid being hit by Feather-chan yet again, I guess I'll just come out and say it...I don't own the bishies...**

**NinthFeather: Wise decision.**

**Me: TT_TT**

********

"Yuda, will he be alright? He hasn't moved at all, and it's been over six hours..."

"Ruka, considering how extensive Rei's injuries were, it wouldn't be surprising if he slept for six days. I may have healed him, but going through that much pain and stress can really tap the body's reserves. And there is still the matter of his wing..."

Rei groaned, trying to shut out the voices around him. He didn't want to wake up just yet. He wanted to keep floating in the calm, painless expanse of dark and black.

Unfortunately, after hearing him stir, the voices only became more insistent. "Rei? Rei, can you here me? Rei?" Rei moaned softly but shifted closer to the source of those words. Much as he wanted to remain asleep, he never could resist that voice.

However, the closer Rei came to consciousness, the more aware he became of the intense pain radiating from his back. So intense was it that, when he finally regained full consciousness, his eyes shot open and he could not suppress the small scream that escaped his lips.

"Rei! Rei, ssshh. It'll be alright, Rei." Ruka said soothingly, while grasping Rei's hand tightly and gently stroking the whimpering angel's hair. He may have already known what was wrong with Rei, but it was still all he could do to fight down his panic at the sight of his fragile angel in such obvious pain.

Rei turned toward the comforting warmth that had encased his hand. "R-Ruka?" he asked, his soft voice laced with pain. "Ruka, w-what is this? W-Why...why does it...h-hurt...so badly...?"

"It...It's your wing, Rei," Ruka said carefully, "It was injured when...when the cliff side collapsed. It will heal on it's own in time, but for a while, the process will be quite...uncomfortable."

Rei looked up at him, confused. "But...if it's just an...injury, why can't...Y-Yuda heal it..." he asked between gasps.

Yuda moved forward to stand next to where Ruka was kneeling. "Rei, I can only heal injuries of the flesh. Your wings, though attached to your body, are not made of flesh, but of angelic energy. So, while I have completely healed all of your other injuries, I do not possess the ability to do the same to your wings."

Yuda paused, seeming to hesitate before continuing. "Also, when you injured your wing, it automatically retracted into your body to heal. If you were to try to bring them out again before the healing process was fully completed, you could lose the use of them...permanently."

Rei's eyes widened. What? He'd never be able to...to fly again? He'd never be able to soar through the sky, with Ruka, his love, by his side. The very thought brought fresh tears to his eyes, none of which were from the pain.

Ruka, realizing how distressed Rei had become, glared over his shoulder at his friend. "Yuda! Was it truly necessary to inform him of this now? More anxiety is the last thing his injury needs!"

Before Yuda had a chance to respond, Rei broke in, "N-No, Ruka. I-I'm glad...Yuda told me. After all, I-I would have...to know eventually."

Ruka sighed. He did not want to discuss this now, not when Rei was still in such an obviously fragile state. "Of course, Rei. You're right. But there is no need to have this conversation now. Please, just try to rest. The pain will decrease the more you rest your injury."

Rei nodded and closed his eyes, sighing softly as a calm feeling of exhaustion overtook him. His body had been out through so much today, and only sleep could bring full healing.

As Rei's breathing evened out, alerting Ruka that the smaller angel had fallen asleep, the silver-haired angel couldn't suppress a smile at the sight of his beautiful lover. Gently brushing his lips against the delicate angel's forehead, Ruka straightened up and turned to Yuda, nodding once to him as they both exited the room.

Once they had made to the other end of the hall, Ruka stopped walking and turned towards his best friend. "Yuda, answer me honestly, how serious do you believe Rei's injury to be?"

Yuda sighed. "You know as well as I do that I cannot answer that, Ruka," Yuda replied sadly, shaking his head. "Even if I had gotten a decent look at his wings before they disappeared inside his back, I wouldn't even know where to begin in treating him. If anything, you know more about his condition than I do, as you have been through something similar before."

Ruka couldn't help but let out a groan. He knew Yuda was right, but he wished he wasn't. It was true, Ruka had injured his wings before, which is how both he and Yuda had known what to expect from Rei's injury. However, in Ruka's case, the damage to his wings had not been nearly as severe to the damage Rei had suffered. If Rei tried to use his wings even once before they were fully healed, he would almost definitely never fly again

Yuda placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "Ruka, do not worry. You and I both know that flying is the most precious thing in Rei's life," Yuda paused. "Well, maybe the second most precious thing, anyway," Yuda added, giving Ruka a knowing smile, which Ruka couldn't help but mirror. "Rei will not risk losing his ability to fly. This, I can guarantee you."

Ruka nodded. He was still not without worry, but at least Yuda's words had eased his burden, if only a little bit.

It was then that Yuda and Ruka became aware of slightly raised voices coming from the courtyard. Walking quickly in the direction the voices had originated from, Yuda and Rei came across, the other three Saint Beasts, as well as one rather...unwelcome visitor.

Pandora stood confidently in the center of the courtyard, his usual calm and somewhat cold smile seeming at odds with agitated attitudes of the Gou and Shin, who were in the process of trying to hold back an incredibly irate Gai.

As Ruka and Yuda approached the scene, Yuda called out, in a stern voice, "What is happening here?"

All four of the angels turned towards the new arrivals, and Ruka didn't think he'd ever seen Shin or Gou look so relieved. Nor did he think he'd ever seen Gai look so murderous.

Pandora was the first to speak. "Why, nothing is 'happening here', Yuda-dono," he said smoothly, his blade-like smile never leaving his face. "Shin-dono, Gou-dono, Gai-dono and I were merely engaging in friendly conversation, nothing more."

Gai scoffed. "What friendly conversation? There was nothing 'friendly' about what this guy was saying! He was insulting Rei!"

Ruka felt his blood begin to boil at Gai's words, but he kept himself in check. It would not be wise to make an enemy of Pandora. Instead, he kept his temper under control as Yuda turned to Pandora and asked, "Is this true?"

Pandora's smile only grew wider. "Why, of course not, Yuda-dono. I merely stated, after I had been informed of Rei-dono's...accident, that I would have thought that a Saint Beast such as Rei-dono would have possessed the ability to evade a few falling boulders. Then again," Pandora said, turning slightly to shoot Gai a smug look, "I would have also thought that a Saint Beast such as Gai-dono would have had the ability to keep his powers under control. Obviously, my assumptions were flawed on both counts."

Gai looked about ready to pounce on the green-haired angel, so Yuda thought it best to get Pandora away from him as soon as possible. "Be that as it may, Pandora, you still have yet to inform us of your reason for being here."

"Of course, please forgive my thoughtlessness, Yuda-dono," Pandora replied with a small bow. "I have some here on Zeus-sama's expressed orders. The Saint Beasts have a new mission on Earth."

********

**Well, there it is! Chapter 8 of "Strength"!!...Wow, I guess I really am addicted to cliffhangers, huh? Oh well! XD**

**NinthFeather: Normally, I'd make some sarcastic comment about how you need to stop being so cruel to your readers, but you never listen to me anyway, so why bother?**

**Me: Huh? Did you say something?**

**NinthFeather:...I rest my case...now just go beg for reviews.**

**Me: Alright. Readers, I know I was REALLY late this time, but please...REVIEW!!!! Please review!!!! If you want me to update fast, I need motivation, so REVIEW!!! Oh, and I should have the next chapter up by Saturday (hopefully). Just in case anyone cares.**

**NinthFeather: Don't hold your breath. You know how she is about deadlines.**

**Me: Hey!! I'm good about them sometimes!**

**NinthFeather: Good for you is less than three days late.**

**Me: Your point?**

**NinthFeather:...You know, I just don't know anymore.**

**Me: Oh well. Good luck figuring it out!**

**Ta ta for now, my friends!**

**~Neko-chan~**


	9. Plans

**Hi everybody!! EEEEP!!! *dodges various projectiles* Ok ok, I get it. I'm late. *dodges more thrown objects* Ok, so I'm REALLY late!! Jeez, I'm sorry, no need to get all homicidal on me.**

**NinthFeather: This coming from the Yakuza who has repeatedly threatened people with katanas when they don't update.**

**Me: That's different...**

**NinthFeather: Really? How so?**

**Me: Well...it just is, alright?!**

**NinthFeather: *smirks* You can't think of anything, can you?**

**Me: -.-' Shut up. I've had a rough week...**

**NinthFeather: What? No one ordered any Mafia hits this week?**

**Me: Exactly!!! Do you have any idea how bored I've been??? I haven't been able to use my katanas for 7 straight days!!! It's torture, torture, I tell you!!!! TT_TT**

**NinthFeather: You are an incredibly sad and strange individual.**

**Me: Aww, thanks, Feather-chan!! ^-^**

**NinthFeather: That wasn't a...oh, to heck with it. Just get on with your fic!**

**Me: Ok!! **

**Warning: Again, not a whole lot to warn about in this chapter...except for a bit of foul language on Ruka's part.**

**NinthFeather: Which, considering how bad your chapters usually are, is not a big deal.**

**Me: Exactly! ^-^**

**Disclaimer:...I still don't own the bishies...T_T**

**NinthFeather: Oh, get over it. You still get to torture them, regardless.**

**Me: True! XD**

********

"No," Ruka said flatly before any of the others had a chance to respond to Pandora's announcement.

Pandora's smile seemed to falter a moment, but he quickly recovered. "Ruka-dono, I don't think you quite understood me. This is a direct order from Zeus-sama himself. You cannot simply refuse."

The look Ruka gave Pandora was enough to make even Yuda take a cautious step back. "One of Rei's wings was seriously injured in the cliff side collapse. He is, as of right now, in no condition to be leaving his chamber, let alone descending to Earth."

Though Pandora looked visibly shaken by the icy tone of Ruka's words, he quickly regained his composure and retorted, "W-Well, be that as it may, it does not have any bearing on the situation at present. Zeus-sama has given the Saint Beasts a mission. It would not do for the angels closest to Zeus-sama himself to make a habit of disobeying him."

It took every ounce of self-restraint Ruka had not to punch the smaller angel right then and there. Much as he was loathe to admit it, Pandora was right. No matter how much he wished to, Ruka and the other Saint Beasts could not refuse a direct order from their God.

Yuda, seeing the conflict warring inside his friend, decided to intervene. "Of course, Pandora, we would not think to disobey Zeus-sama's order. The five of us here will descend to Earth, but Rei will remain here in Heaven."

Ruka might have missed the looks of surprise and, if he wasn't mistaken, panic that flitted across Pandora's face had he not been watching the Heavenly messenger closely. The small angel looked about to protest, but one more heated glare from Ruka made the words evaporate on his tongue.

"Very well," Pandora conceded through gritted teeth, "I shall go inform Zeus-sama of this slight...modification. Excuse me." Without so much as another glance at the other Saint Beasts, Pandora turned and left the courtyard.

Yuda was the next person to find himself on the receiving end of Ruka's glare. "Leaving Rei in Heaven...alone?! What the hell were you thinking, Yuda?! Rei is injured and vulnerable, we can't just leave him unprotected! Or have you forgotten that that bastard Stheno is still out there?!"

Ruka's entire body burned with the force of his rage. How could Yuda even have suggested this, let alone put it into action? There was no way Rei could be left in Heaven alone! Even the obvious dangers aside, after last night, after experiencing for himself how truly terrified Rei still was...to say Ruka was reluctant to leave his fragile angel for any amount of time would be an understatement.

"I have forgotten nothing, Ruka," Yuda said in a serious tone, "But to completely, and willingly, disobey a direct order from Zeus-sama would have dire, possibly even fatal, consequences for us all. At least this way, Rei will not be forced to descend to Earth with us, which would result in further aggravating his injury."

Ruka didn't want to admit it, he wanted to give in to the burning, irrational emotions that always arose in matters concerning Rei, but he knew Yuda was right. Sighing, he looked down at the ground. "You're right, Yuda. I was being impractical. Please excuse my outburst."

Yuda smiled at his friend, clasping him warmly on the shoulder. "Don't think on it, Ruka. Any of us would have reacted in the same manner, were someone we loved in the position as Rei."

Truly, that last statement was a blatant lie on Yuda's part. Were Shin in the same position as Rei, Yuda doubted he would have shown nearly the restraint that Ruka had, especially when faced with someone like Pandora.

Ruka nodded, looking his friend in the eye and giving him a sad smile, "Thank you, Yuda." Then Ruka suddenly winced.

"What's wrong?" Yuda asked anxiously, worriedly examining the silver-haired angel for any sign of injury. Had Yuda missed something? Had his friend been injured in the accident earlier after all?

"It's nothing," Ruka said, still grimacing. "I'm just not particularly looking forward to telling Rei that he's going to have to stay behind while we descend to Earth."

********

Pandora hurried down one of the many halls of Zeus's temple to his own private chamber, quickly shutting and bolting the door once he was inside.

Turning away from the door, the small angel walked over to the large dresser at the foot of his bed and opening the top drawer. Feeling around the bottom of the drawer, he quickly located the hidden switch he was looking for, and flipped it to the left. As a result, the back panel of the drawer slid back, revealing a secret compartment.

From this compartment, Pandora removed a small, ornately carved hand mirror. This mirror would have appeared no different from any other one might find in Heaven, except for one minor detail. Where there would normally be coated glass for seeing one's reflection, this mirror had solid black obsidian, which reflected nothing in it's shiny darkness.

Pandora carefully set the mirror down on his desk, then slowly waved his hand above its black surface. Almost instantly, the shining surface of the obsidian began to darken and swirl, until eventually, the original blackness was gone, and in its place was the image of a cloaked man with long, black hair.

"Pandora," the man in the mirror said, "What do you have to report."

Pandora's voice shook a little bit as he spoke, "L-Lucifer-sama, I approached the Saint Beasts as per your instructions, and they will be descending to Earth, just as you predicted."

The man smiled, "Good. You did well, Pandora. Everything is going according to plan."

"W-Well, there is a slight problem, L-Lucifer-sama," Pandora continued quietly, the trewor in his voice growing stronger.

"Oh?" Lucifer asked quietly, his voice taking on a soft, casual tone that sent chills down Pandora's back. "And what, pray tell, might that be?"

"W-Well, i-it appears that Rei-dono was injured in a training accident with the other Saint Beasts earlier this morning. Both Yuda-dono and Ruka-dono insist that he is not well enough to descend to Earth, so he is remaining here, in Heaven."

"Hmm....yes, this will cause a bit of a snag in our plans. While Suzaku no Rei is by no means a note worthy threat, one of our more...volatile allies has taken a keen interest in him," Lucifer paused as if considering the situation, before he spoke again. "Well, no matter. This is a situation that is all too easily remedied. Leave this matter to me," And with that, mirror's surface clouded over, until it had returned to it's original pitch black.

********

**And viola! There you have it chapter 9!! I know you all waited for this for a long time, so I hoped you liked it!**

**NinthFeather:...**

**Me: Feather-chan? You there?**

**NinthFeather: Yeah, I'm here *mutters* Where else would I be? You still haven't let me go yet...**

**Me: Aren't you going to say anything?**

**NinthFeather: Why should I? Obviously, all my lectures about how you shouldn't put cliffhangers at the end of every chapter are all going in one ear and out the other, so why should I bother?**

**Me: But I never listen to your lectures. That's never stopped you before.**

**NinthFeather:...If you're trying to make me feel better, please stop.**

**Me: Aww! Don't be like that, Feather-chan!!**

**NinthFeather: Shut up.**

**Me: *whines* But Feather-cha~an...**

**NinthFeather: Ugh!! Why don't you come with an off switch?!**

**Me: Funny, my mom asked the same thing...**

**NinthFeather: *rubs temples* Please just go beg for reviews...**

**Me: Ok!! Now, I know you all probably want to kill me for taking so long on this chapter, but I would still REALLY appreciate it if you would...REVIEW!!! ONEGAI!!!! I NEED REVIEWS!!! And remember, I'm a bored-out-of-my-skull yakuza with access to a large selection of heavy weaponry, so it would be good for all involved if you would just...REVIEW!!!**

**Now, I don't know when the next chapter will be out (I'm going to stop giving myself deadlines, since I never seem to stick to them...) but I will try to have it out soon!! Thanks for reading, people!!!**

**Until next time...**

**~Neko-chan~**


	10. Gift

**I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY! I know, I suck, I'm not worthy of being called an author, and you're probably all incredibly tired of hearing this, but I'm still incredibly sorry!**

**Also, I'm sorry to inform you all that NinthFeather-chan will not be with us this chapter. She finally managed to pick the lock on her handcuffs and escape. But no worries! I will be sure to re-capture her by the next chapter so we can have more Neko-chan/ Feather-chan dialogue fun! But until then, on with the fic!**

**Warning:...nothing, really. This actually a relatively normal chapter. Don't worry though, that will have stopped by the next chapter. *evil grin***

**Disclaimer:...still don't own the bishies...TT_TT**

* * *

Rei sighed, lying on his back in the soft grass and staring at the beautiful, cloudless sky above him. How he wished he could just spread his wings and take off into that endless expanse of blue, and completely banish the events of the past couple of days from his mind.

Unfortunately, Rei was all too aware of the consequences of such reckless actions, and it terrified him to even think about it.

_Well, flying wouldn't do me much good at this time anyway_, Rei thought to himself. _He'd just find me that much quicker_.

Yes, Rei was currently avoiding a certain silver-haired angel as much as he possibly could. And when he couldn't altogether avoid him, he simply ignored him or, if unable to do that, spoke to him using as few words as possible.

Why? Simple. Rei was sulking.

Was it childish? Yes. Was it pointless? Also yes. But Rei didn't care. He was angry and annoyed. Angry that Ruka had, once again, thought him weak and in need of protection, and annoyed at himself for, once again, proving him right.

Rei felt an all-to-familiar pang of sadness and guilt at the thought of his silver-haired love. He knew Ruka was only being protective because he loved him, and Rei truly was grateful for everything Ruka had done for him in the past six months, but that did not give Ruka the right to make decisions about him without his knowledge! Rei still got mad every time he remembered their last conversation, and that had been almost three days ago.

_Rei looked at Ruka like he was speaking a foreign language. And maybe he was, for Rei knew there was no way he could have heard his lover correctly. "...I'm sorry, Ruka, but would you mind __repeating that?"_

_Ruka gave Rei an apprehensive look, but his voice was steady and firm as he spoke. "I said, the Saint Beasts have received orders from Zeus to descend to Earth. We will be leaving in five days time. However, due to your recent injury, it has been decided that you will remain here, in Heaven."_

_Again, all Rei could do was stare at the larger angel in front of him. He opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. In truth, he was in shock. He knew Ruka could be over-protective at times, but still..._

_The look on Ruka's face turned from one of apprehension to concern. "Rei? Rei, are you alright?" Ruka took a cautious step toward the dumbstruck angel._

_Rei shook his head to bring himself out of his shock induced stupor and shot Ruka a glare that the silver-haired angel often referred to as his "bird of prey" look, because whenever Ruka was faced with it, it always meant that Rei was about to tear into him, in one form or another._

_However, much to Ruka's great surprise, Rei did not say anything. He merely turned his back on the larger angel and gracefully walked out of the room._

Rei let out an angry puff of breath, turning to lay on his side. No, he would not feel guilty for avoiding Ruka, nor would he admit to himself that he missed his crimson-eyed lover. This time, Ruka was the one at fault, not him, and Rei was definitely not going to apologize for his actions.

Suddenly, Rei heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. Jumping quickly to his feet—and ignoring the twinge of pain that doing so brought to his back, where his wings were located—he prepared himself and got into a defensive position, ready to defend himself. The incident with Stheno had made him a bit paranoid, so he always made sure he was prepared to fight, if need be.

"Oi! What are you doing, you stupid cats? I told you, this isn't for—no wait! I didn't mean that! You're not stu—Ahh!"

Rei let out a sigh of relief as he recognized the loud, completely unmistakable voice as that of Gai. Smiling slightly to himself, he quickly walked over to the bushes to see what trouble the blonde angel had gotten himself into this time.

When Rei made his way through the foliage and came upon Gai, it took all his will power not to burst out laughing at the small angel's predicament.

Gai had been tackled to the ground and was apparently still trying to fight off the numerous angry-looking cats, all of whom seemed focused, not only on clawing the poor angel to shreds, but also getting at the small object Gai held in his right hand, which he seemed intent on protecting, so matter what.

"Rei! Don't just stand there! Help me!" Gai shouted after a few moments, finally noticing Rei's presence. Deciding that he'd had enough of watching Gai's somewhat humorous plight, Rei took pity on the struggling angel.

Quickly searching the plants around him, Rei found what he was looking for almost immediately. Catnip. Or rather, Heaven's version of catnip. It worked just as well as the type the humans used, but it was much more readily available in heaven. Lucky for Gai.

Pulling out a couple handfuls of the green plant, Rei turned back to Gai. The cats, immediately smelling the cat nip in Rei's hands, quickly got off the now terribly scratched up angel and rushed over to Rei, who spread the catnip along the ground a little ways away from Gai. Then, once he was sure the cats were otherwise occupied, he walked back over to the blonde angel.

"Are you alright, Gai?" Rei asked kindly, holding out his hand and helping the smaller angel to his feet.

Gai winced as he stood up, the movement pulling at some of the more painful scratches. "Yeah, I'm fine. Damn cats, they just don't know when to quit," he muttered, more to himself than to Rei.

Rei looked at the green-eyed angel curiously, "What was so important to you that you still protected it, even faced with several rather determined cats?"

Gai immediately blushed and looked down, too embarrassed to meet Rei's gaze. "Well, um...I couldn't because..." he said slowly, trying to get up the courage to finish his statement. "Because it was something I made for you!" He finished quickly, then thrust the small object in his hands at Rei, still not looking at him.

Rei could not contain his look of surprise at Gai's words, but his surprise quickly evaporated into a gasp of awe as he saw what Gai was giving him.

It was a small stone carving of a bird. A robin, to be exact, perfect in every single detail. From its textured feathers to its red stomach to its shining, onyx eyes, the little bird was so life like that Rei wasn't the least bit surprised that the cats had been after it, thinking it was a real bird.

Rei was so taken aback by receiving such a beautiful gift—and from Gai no less—that honestly was at a loss for words. It was only when Gai looked up at him self-consciously and asked, "Do you like it?" that Rei was shaken out of his stupor.

"Oh Gai, I...I love it! It's absolutely breathtaking! How in heaven did you manage to make this?"

Gai, encouraged by Rei's decidedly positive reaction, merely shrugged. "It's no big deal. I am the Saint Beast of Earth, after all. If I couldn't create something like this out of my own element, I'd be a disgrace!"

Rei smiled, holding the small bird carefully, as if it really were alive. "Thank you so much, Gai! This is, without a doubt, the best gift I have ever received! Oh, I can't thank you enough! But..." Rei looked up from his bird to turn his confused gaze on Gai. "Why would you do something like this for me? I can think of nothing I have done to warrant receiving such a beautiful gift."

Gai looked down at the ground again, this time in shame rather than embarrassment, and slowly traced patterns in the dirt with his foot. "Well, I had to do something, you know, to make up for getting you hurt and all. It...it was my fault, after all," Gai replied, his voice breaking near the end, as if he were about to cry.

Rei felt his heart go out to the small angel and he couldn't help but lean down and embrace him. "Gai, it was an accident. There was no way for you to know that that side of the valley wall was unstable. And even if you had, we all have difficulty controlling our powers at one point or another. That is why we practice in the first place! So please, don't feel guilty. It is not your fault."

Gai hugged Rei back, not feeling entirely convinced, but decided to let the subject drop. "Ok, thanks, Rei!" He said cheerfully, pulling out of the embrace. He was just turning to head back to Heaven's Palace, when he looked back over at Rei. "Hey Rei? Why haven't you or Ruka talked to each other in three days?"

Rei blushed and looked down, quickly remembering why he was out in the woods in the first place. "That's...It's complicated, Gai."

Gai merely shrugged, "Whatever you say, Rei. But you should know, Ruka hasn't left his room since you two fought. He hasn't come down to meals, training sessions, or anything. The guy's a real mess without you," Gai finished with a smile and a wink, which sent Rei into a fresh round of blushing, and walked away.

Rei just stood there for a while, clutching the little stone bird and thinking about what Gai had said. Ruka? A wreck without him? Gai must have been confused, for it was Rei who was a wreck without Ruka.

Deciding that he had acted like a spoiled child long enough, Rei swallowed his pride and, looking down at the small bird tightly clasped in his hand for comfort, began walking in the direction Gai had gone.

* * *

**Well, there it is! Chapter 10! I hope you all enjoyed it (even though it was EXTREMELY late). And please, do a broke, sleep-deprived author a favor and REVIEW! Please? I practically live off my reviews, so if you want me to be conscious enough to write the next chapter, I suggest you REVIEW!**

**Until next time, my friends!**

**~Neko-chan~**


	11. Touch

**Hey y'all!!! Yeah, yeah, I know I'm late again, but guess what!!! I managed re-capture--Uh, I mean, _invite back_, Feather-chan!! So, everyone, let's give a nice warm welcome back to NinthFeather!! **

**NinthFeather:...T_T**

**Me: O.O Feather-chan?! Why are you crying?!**

**NinthFeather: Because I was finally free!! I had finally, FINALLY managed to escape, and you had to go and send your stupid yakuza thugs after me!! **

**Me: Well of course I did!! It reflects badly on me as a yakuza if I let one of my captives--er, I mean guests, escape!! If I just let you go, I'd lose my credibility!!**

**NinthFeather:...Yakuza have credibility?**

**Me: When it suites us, yes.**

**NinthFeater: Well as if being kidnapped by you for the SECOND TIME wasn't bad enough, now I don't even have the chance to escape again, because this time, instead of handcuffs, you put me in shackles! SHACKLES!! Where the heck do you even get shackles anyway?!**

**Me:...I'd tell, but then you'd lose your plausible deniability. Oh, and I'd have to kill you.**

**NinthFeather: TT_TT...Just get on with your fic, already.**

**Me: ^-^ Ok!!**

**Warning: There is a TON of bishie x bishie romance in this chapter (seriously, this is the closest you will ever see me get to writing a lemon). So no like, then--**

**NinthFeather: RUN!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!**

**Disclaimer: I STILL don't own the bishies...T_T...I hate my life...**

**NinthFeather: You'll gain no sympathy from me. I'm the one in the shackles.**

* * *

Ruka was having a decidedly bad week.

Not only had Rei gotten severely injured in a training accident, but it had been completely Ruka's fault! While the accident itself had not been his doing, Rei had gotten injured _saving_ Ruka. And because that obviously wasn't bad enough, things just kept getting worse.

_Of course_ the Saint Beasts' first mission in months would come on the very same day that Rei was injured. _Of course_ they couldn't refuse the assignment, as Pandora, a little too smugly, pointed out. _Of course_ Yuda would suggest leaving Rei behind in heaven, alone, while the rest of the Saint Beasts descended to Earth.

And of course, Ruka had been the one who had to tell Rei all of this.

Because of all that, Rei had not spoken to Ruka, or even looked at him for that matter, in three days, and it was seriously starting to wear on the silver-haired angel.

Ruka sighed as he stared out over the balcony of his chambers. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to fly off this balcony, find Rei, drag him back to Heaven's Palace (kicking and screaming, if need be), and force the smaller angel to talk to him. Somehow though, Ruka thought that might do more harm than good.

A soft knock at Ruka's door brought the silver-haired angel out of his reverie. Thinking that it was Yuda trying once again to convince him to leave his chamber, Ruka ignored it. Yuda would give up eventually.

But the knocking continued, becoming more and more insistent as time went on, until, finally, Ruka angrily stood up, knocking his seat over with the force of the action.

_Yuda...you just don't know when to give up, do you?_ Ruka seethed as he stalked over to the door. Roughly wrenching it open, Ruka shouted, "Yuda, please. I have already told you—," but the rest of what Ruka had been about to say died on his tongue as he met the pair of large, amber eyes on the other side of the door.

"Rei..." Ruka said softly, staring in disbelief. For a minute he thought his eyes were deceiving him, but he soon realized that that was not the case. Needless to say, Ruka had certainly not expected the smaller angel to come anywhere near him until after the silver-haired angel and the others had returned from their mission, much less actually come to Ruka's room himself.

"R-Ruka," Rei replied, stuttering slightly, then cursing himself for it. Why did Ruka always have such an...intense effect on him? Even when Rei was _supposed_ to be mad at him, one look from those blood red eyes was enough to turn the violet-haired angel into a tongue-tied mess. Rei knew he should feel embarrassed or annoyed by this reaction, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to be either.

Without another word, Ruka stepped aside, making a path for Rei to enter the room. Rei entered the room in equal silence, turning to face Ruka after he had shut the door.

For a while, the two just stared at one another, neither one wanting to be the first to break the long silence between them. Eventually, Ruka became aware that if he didn't speak first, nothing would ever be said. Sighing, he finally ended the quiet. "Rei, I...I'm sor—,"

"Ruka, I didn't come here because I wished for an apology from you," Rei said softly, cutting him off. "Nor did I come here to make you feel guilty for what you did. I understand that you were just trying to protect me, like you always do," Rei smiled fondly at the memories his last statement conjured up.

"However, there is something that I wish for you to understand as well," Rei continued, a renewed firmness in his tone. "Yes, I have been hurt. And I think we are both aware that I'm not just referring to my wings," Rei took a deep breath to steady himself, before continuing.

"This is the first mission the Saint Beasts have gotten since...S-Stheno," Despite his determination, Rei still could not say his name with stuttering, "Ruka, can you tell me, in all honesty, that, had I not been injured, you would not have objected to my presence during this mission?"

Ruka had no answer for Rei's question. No, that was a lie. If Ruka were to be completely honest with himself, he knew he did have an answer, but it was not the right one, and Ruka was all too aware of that. So, in response, Ruka merely hung his head, refusing to meet Rei's probing gaze.

Rei sighed and walked over to Ruka, laying his hands on his chest. "Ruka, look at me, and listen well to what I have to say."

Though he did not wish to, Ruka could not deny his beloved anything, let alone such a simple request. Reluctantly, the silver-haired angel lifted his head, meeting those beautiful jewel-tone eyes he loved so much.

"Ruka, what Stheno did scarred me, and not only physically. I will forever bear the mental and emotional scars of what he did and what he...tried to do," Rei shuddered at the images flitting across his mind's eye.

"But that is all they are. Scars. Shallow reminders of a pain long since past. They are not cracks that threatened to widen at the first provocation. I am _not_ made of glass, and I _will_ not break," Rei's voice softened as he continued, "Ruka, I love you. I love how protective you are of me. You are the only reason that I am able to feel safe again."

"But Ruka, you cannot protect me from everything. I am a Saint Beast. I will be placed in dangerous, possibly life-threatening situations. This is something that you will simply have to accept, just I must accept that you will face the same."

For a few moments after Rei's speech, there was complete silence between the two angels, as Ruka stared at Rei with a kind of awe. When had his delicate angel become so...strong?

_No_, Ruka thought, shaking his head. _Rei has always been strong. I just never took the time to see that strength_. Smiling, Ruka gently wound his arms around Rei's slender waist, pulling the smaller angel flush against his chest.

"You're right, Rei. I should not have agreed to leave you behind from the mission without consulting you first. I cannot, however, promise that I will never be overly protective of you again," Ruka couldn't help but chuckle at the indignant look his words brought to Rei's face, "However, I can promise that I will do my best to keep it under control from now on."

Rei smiled that one smile that never failed to make Ruka's heart miss a beat. "Thank you, Ruka. That means so much to me," Rei lilted, entwining his arms around Ruka's neck and pulling the crimson-eyed angel down for a passion-filled kiss.

Ruka couldn't help but groan as the heat of the kiss seared through his body. He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed Rei until this moment. He'd almost forgotten how amazing Rei's body felt when it was pressed against every line of his own. How his tantalizingly sweet mouth tasted as Ruka caressed every inch of it with his tongue. And how unbelievably arousing the sound of his breathless moans and gasps could be.

And Ruka wanted to learn all of it all over again.

So completely lost in the kiss was Rei that he did not notice Ruka lifting him into his arms and carrying him to the bed until Ruka broke the kiss, and Rei found himself lying on his back, with the larger angel hovering over top of him, and wondering how he ended up in this position.

Rei's whimper of disappointment at the loss of the kiss quickly turned into a gasp of pleasure as Ruka's lips attacked his neck, nipping and suckling all the spots he knew would drive Rei crazy.

"You have no idea how long these past three days have been," Ruka murmured against Rei's neck, his hot breath making the smaller angel shiver, "Not being able to touch you," he purred as he slowly slid his hands down Rei's sides, undoing the clasps of his robe as he went.

"Not being able to kiss you," he moaned, peppering the skin of Rei's neck and clavicle with feather-light kisses, ever so slowly moving further down Rei's body.

"Not being able to love you at all...it's been torture," Ruka finished, and, with one last glance at his beautiful angel's flushed expression, Ruka latched on to one of Rei's newly exposed nipples, using a skillful play of lips, tongue, and teeth to pleasure the pink bud.

Rei arched into the touch, unable to hold back the pleasured sounds and strangled cries that escaped his lips in response to what Ruka was doing to him.

"Ahh! R-Ruka...Mmm! W-We...we sh-shouldn't—Ahh!"

Ruka smirked against Rei's skin and crawled back up Rei's body to look the small angel in the face. The sight never ceased to steal his breath away.

Rei, with his pale skin flushed a delicate pink, his chest rising and falling rapidly with every breath he took. His beautiful amber eyes heavily lidded and glazed over in hazy pleasure, and his lovely red lips swollen ad bruised from their earlier kisses. It was truly a sight to behold, and it was one that only Ruka would ever have the privilege to lay eyes upon.

"Don't tell me,love, that you haven't desired my touch at all these past three days? For I know I have certainly longed for yours..." Ruka trailed off suggestively, lightly skimming his finger tips down Rei's pale chest, causing the violet-haired angel to moan softly.

"Th-That's not—," but whatever protests Rei had been about to make were cut off when Ruka caught his lips in another fiery kiss, the heat of which quickly wiped any future protestations from Rei's mind.

* * *

**Well, there it is. Chapter 11. So what did you think of my lemon scented chapter? Good? Bad?**

**NinthFeather: Incredibly disturbing?**

**Me: You know what, Feather-chan? No one asked you, so shut up.**

**NinthFeather: You want me to shut up? Then let me go.**

**Me: Not happening.**

**NinthFeather: Then no complaining about my comentary.**

**Me: -.- You're evil.**

**NinthFeather: I'm sorry, who's the one that _shackled me to the wall_???**

**Me: Good point. Anyway, on to the review begging!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!! This is my first time writing anything remotely close to a lemon (well, a consensual lemon anyway...) so I need you people to tell me how I did!!! *gets down on hands and knees* Please review!!! Please!!**

**And on that note, I bid you all farewell!!**

**~Neko-chan (and the captive NinthFeather)**


	12. Descent

**Konnichiwa, mina! Tanslation: Hi, everyone! And welcome to chapter 12 of "Strength"! I tried to get this chapter done faster than the last one, but, well...my life got in the way.**

**NinthFeather: What life? **

**Me: -.- Shut up, Feather-chan. I do so have a life!**

**NinthFeather: Sitting at your computer all day reading fanfiction does not mean you have a life. It means you're pathetic.**

**Me: Like you're one to talk.**

**NinthFeather: I'd have a life if you didn't keep me shackled to the freakin' wall!**

**Me: Uh huh. You keep telling yourself that.**

**Ninthfeather: I'm going to smack you.**

**Me: Unless you've suddenly become a WHOLE lot more flexible, I don't see how that's going to happen while you're shackled to a wall.**

**NinthFeather: I hate you.**

**Me: ^-^ You love me.**

**NinthFeather: I'm beginning to think I should look up the actual definition of the word love...**

**Me: Anyway, moving on!**

**Warning: LOTS of bishie x bishie romance, including some lemon-scented stuff in the beginning (sorry, Sky'sShadow. But don't worry, it gets better!) So if you don't like...**

**NithFeather: For the love of all that's holy, LEAVE NOW!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the bishies, so please, put the lawyers away.**

**NinthFeather: Not like they'd get much anyway...**

**Me: TT_TT**

* * *

When morning dawned on the day that the Saint Beasts were to descend to Earth, Rei found himself lying awake, in bed, and staring at the sleeping silver-haired angel lying next to him.

_Beautiful..._was all Rei could think as he reached out a hand and gently traced the masculine, yet somehow still delicate features of Ruka's face.

Ruka moaned something in his sleep and tilted his face towards Rei's feather-light touch, subconsciously trying to get as close to the loving contact as he could.

Rei smiled at his sleeping love. _When he sleeps like this...he seems almost child like_, Rei thought to himself, then he sighed. He knew he had to wake Ruka soon, before the others came looking for him. Rei winced. That was something he definitely didn't want, especially considering their current state of dress...

Still, Rei was very reluctant to wake the peaceful angel next to him. That is, until he got an idea. Smiling to himself, yet still managing to blush at the same time, Rei pressed his lips against Ruka's neck in a gentle kiss. Smiling at the way the larger angel moaned and squirmed in his sleep, the violet-haired angel continued trailing feather-light kisses along his lover's neck until he reached his ear. Nibbling gently on Ruka's sensitive ear lobe, Rei couldn't suppress the shiver of excitement that traveled down his spine at the sound of Ruka's appreciative groan.

"Ruka," Rei whispered softly in his lover's ear. "Ruka, wake up. I'm waiting for you," Rei breathed, then captured Ruka's soft lips in a light, tender kiss.

Less than a second had passed before Rei felt his lover begin returning the kiss, and less than a minute after that for Rei to find their positions flipped, with himself lying on his back against the mattress and Ruka hovering over top of him.

"Mmm...that was some wake up call, Rei," Ruka murmured, his voice not but a purr as his smoldering eyes devoured the beautiful body beneath him. Smirking, he leaned down and breathed into Rei's ear, relishing the shiver that went through the smaller angel in response. "I do hope you intend to wake me in a similar fashion from now on."

Rei blushed and turned his head away, his voice trembling as he replied, "But R-Ruka, surely if I did that e-every morning, you'd grow tired of me far too quickly."

Ruka smiled at how innocent the lovely angel beneath him could still be. "Trust me, Rei," He growled, lightly skimming his fingertips down Rei's back, "There is no way in Heaven I could ever grow tired of you."

Rei squeaked in surprise and pleasure as Ruka's fingers passed over that sensitive spot right between his shoulder blades where his wings would emerge. Happy to have discovered another one of Rei's pleasure spots, Ruka passed over that area again, pressing a bit harder this time.

"Mmm, R-Ruka!" Rei moaned, squirming under Ruka's expert touch. "We...we can't do this...not now...Ahh! N-Not there! Ruka!"

Ruka ignored Rei's words and instead focused on the incredibly pleasurable sounds his actions were drawing from his delicate lover. Using his free hand, Ruka skimmed his fingers down Rei's bare stomach, ghosting over his rapidly heating flesh and proceeding to caress and message its way down the soft, milky skin of Rei's inner thigh.

Rei's semi-restrained gasps and moans soon turned to barely suppressed cries of pleasure, yet, much as he desired for this to continue, he knew it could not. "R-Ruka, s-stop...Nnn!...you...you have your mission t-today..."

Ruka sighed. Much as he wanted to continue wringing those immensely attractive cries and moans from his beautiful angel in any way possible, he knew Rei was right. Grumbling about how the mission could go to hell, Ruka rolled off Rei and lay on his back next to him.

Sighing in both relief and disappointment, Rei sat up and looked over at Ruka, smiling fondly at the child-like pout on the older angel's face. Planting a light kiss on his cheek, Rei whispered in Ruka's ear, "Ruka, just think of it this way. The sooner you leave for the mission, the sooner you can return..."

Ruka still wasn't pleased with the situation, but once again, he knew Rei was right. Putting a smile on his face so as not to cause the smaller angel any extra anxiety, he sat up and reached out a hand to brush some of Rei's silky hair away from his face. "You're right, love. I need to prepare for the descent to Earth. But first..." he murmured, trailing off suggestively as he closed his eyes and leaned in towards Rei...

Only to be interrupted by a loud pounding on the door of Ruka's chamber. "Oi, Ruka, you awake? Yuda sent me to tell you that we need to be ready to leave in an hour, so get ready."

Ruka groaned in frustration. That little blonde angel certainly knew how to ruin a moment. "Very well. I shall be ready before then. Thank you, Gai."

Only when he heard the small angel's footsteps move away from the other side of the door did Ruka turn back to Rei. "Well, if we want to avoid him coming back and dragging us out of here by force, I suppose we should dress and meet the others."

Rei sighed, "Yes, I suppose so." Truth be told, he did not want to leave the bed anymore than Ruka did. He was certainly not looking forward to watching his love, as well as his friends, go off on a potentially dangerous mission without him, nor was he eagerly anticipating the anxiety-filled days and nights that he would experience while Ruka and the others were gone. Still, he could not afford to let Ruka get even the slightest insight into the trepidation and fear going through his mind. It would only distract the silver-haired angel and, for a Saint Beast, distraction could be fatal.

Once they were both dressed (Rei in the clothes he had worn the day before, as he had not had the time to run to his chambers to get new ones) they met the others for breakfast in the dining hall. It was a quiet affair, as most of the Saint Beasts were already thinking about how best to complete their mission, what dangers would be involved, et cetera.

Just as everyone was finishing their meal, a messenger ran in through the doorway of the dining hall. "Saint Beast-samas, Pandora-dono is here to see you."

Yuda nodding at the adolescent angel. "Thank you, Akira. Please inform him that we will meet with him shortly."

"Yes, Yuda-sama," Akira replied, bowing as he hurried from the room.

"Well, I guess that's our cue, huh?" Gai said nervously, casting an apprehensive look towards Rei. Next to Ruka, Gai was probably the one who hated the idea of leaving the violet-haired angel behind the most. Rei was injured, for pity's sake! He shouldn't be left to fend for himself alone. Plus, it just...didn't seem right, somehow, only five of them descending to Earth. The six of them were always together when they were sent on a mission, and that was the way Gai thought it should be.

Unfortunately, however, none of them had much choice in the matter, so Gai figured it was best to just go along with it without a fuss.

When the Saint Beast reached the main corridor where Pandora was awaiting them, the green-haired angel turned to them and smiled. "Good morning, Saint Beast-donos. I trust you slept well?"

"Perfectly, thank you, Pandora," Yuda replied coldly.

Pandora's smile merely widened, "I'm glad. Now, here are your vials of water from the Spring of Life, so you can travel to and from Heaven without any difficulties," he explained, holding out five glass vials of water. Once satisfied that each of the angels descending to Earth had one, Pandora turned his snake-like smile toward Rei.

"Rei-dono, I had heard that you were injured in a training...accident," Pandora said, feigning concern, all the while shooting knowing glances at Gai, who flushed red with embarrassment and anger. "I trust your injury is healing well?"

Rei had not missed the look Pandora had given Gai, and his response to Pandora was so cold, his voice sent shivers down the spines of the other Saint Beasts. "I thank you for your concern, Pandora, but it is severely misplaced. Rest assured that I am perfectly fine, and that my staying behind from this mission is merely a precautionary measure."

Pandora's smile faltered for a moment in response to Rei's icy tone, but was quickly put back into place. "That is good to hear, Rei-dono. I am glad," Then, turning to the other Saint Beasts, he said, "Well, now that my duties here are done, I must get back to the temple. I wish you luck on your mission, Saint Beasts. May you be successful," and with that, the Heavenly minister departed from Heaven's Palace.

"He's always pleasant to have around, huh?" Gai muttered under his breath. He really, really hated that so-called, "Heavenly Minister."

Yuda chuckled. "Well, as unpleasant as he might be, in order to fulfill our duties, I'm afraid we must endure his presence from time to time."

"Yeah, I know. But that doesn't mean I have to like it," Gai grumbled.

This time the others just ignored him. "Well, we should probably make our descent. According to Pandora, Zeus gave this demon eradication mission high priority," Shin stated, then much to everyone's surprise, he walked over to Rei and embraced him lightly.

"Please try and rest while we're gone," he said teasingly, then, whispering so the others would not hear, he said, "Be careful, Rei. I have a very bad feeling about this. I hope it's just my imagination, but I don't like leaving you here alone."

Rei shuddered, unnerved by his friend's warning. It was well known among the Saint Beasts that Shin had the power to control time, and as such, he sometime got...feelings about events to come. The fact that he was worried about this mission was cause for concern. Still, Rei tried to appear outwardly calm.

He smiled, as he was truly touched by his friend's caring. Returning the embrace, Rei whispered, "Don't worry, Shin. Everything will be fine. It is just a routine mission, so all of you will be back in a few days. Believe it or not, I am capable of fending for myself for such a short span of time," the violet-haired angel finished with a laugh.

Shin pulled away from the embrace and smiled in response, though his eyes still shone with anxiety. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Take care, Rei," Shin stepped back and waited in the center of the corridor where they would descend.

After receiving a friendly clap on the shoulder from Yuda and Gou, and nearly getting knocked over by Gai's enthusiastic embrace, all the Saint Beasts had gathered in the center of the corridor, save Rei and Ruka.

As Ruka came towards him, Rei was horrified to feel the beginnings of tears burn behind his eyes. No, he could not cry. He could not let Ruka see how lonesome he'd be without him, how worried he'd be while he was gone. Ruka had enough to worry about, he did not need Rei's feelings as a burden on top of it.

Ruka stood in front of Rei, his muscular body mere inches from Rei's slender one. Reaching out, Ruka gently placed a hand on Rei's cheek. "Rei..." said whispered softly, almost reverently.

Rei smiled up at him, trying desperately to ignore the growing tightness in his throat. "I wish you success in your mission Ruka," he said brightly. Then, looking into his love's expressive crimson eyes, he let his mask drop, just for a second. "Please...please be safe, Ruka," Rei whispered, placing his hand over Ruka's.

Ruka smiled at him and leaned in to press a tender kiss to the smaller angel's forehead. "Don't worry, Rei. I'll be fine. And we will complete this mission with such speed, you won't even have time to feel my absence."

Rei felt a few of the cursed tears begin to leak from his eyes, but still he smiled. "I love you, Ruka."

Ruka brushed away a stray tear and leaned in to steal a light kiss from Rei's lips. "I love you, too, Rei." Then he drew back and went to stand with the other Saint Beasts in the center of the corridor.

There was a brief flash of white light as Shin said the incantation to take them down to Earth, and then, they were gone.

Rei managed to make it back to his chamber before he collapsed on the bed, finally allowing his tears to fall as he felt the loneliness consume him.

* * *

"Nee, Shin, wasn't there supposed to be a...town, somewhere around here?" Gai asked in confusion. The had just materialized on Earth, but it was not where they had intended to be. The demon sightings had all been located outside the small village of Cimpros (1), so they had intended to descend in an area just outside the town's limits where, according to Shin, there was an old wheat field that would be abandoned that time of year.

Instead, the five Saint Beasts had found themselves in a heavily wooded forest, where they neither saw nor heard any signs of human life.

"But I don't understand," Shin said in confusion, "I'm certain I said the spell in exact accordance with the instructions Pandora gave me. So why...?"

While Shin, Yuda, and Gou discussed what might have gone wrong during their descent, Gai and Ruka began to examine their surroundings. Ruka tried to fly up to see if he could tell where they were from above the trees, but the canopy above them was too thick, and he was unable to break through.

"Nee, Ruka? Come have a look at this," Gai called from the other end of the clearing, where he appeared to be examining something on the ground. Walking over to the small angel, Ruka knelt down to get a better look at what Gai was referring to.

"Look at these marks. Don't they seem a bit...familiar? I just can't place where I've seen them before," Gai murmured, gesturing at the dirt.

Carved deeply into the dirt, then outlined in what looked almost like blood, was a five pointed star, encased in a circle. At each of the points, there was an intricate symbol representing one of the Saint Beasts.

Ruka stared at the symbol in puzzlement. Normally, a symbol such as this would involve a star with six points, as there were six Saint Beasts, and the star would not be encased in a circle or restriction of any kind. Normally, inscribing something inside a circle was meant to...

Suddenly, it all came into place. This was a binding seal! Jumping to his feet—and causing Gai to fall over in surprise—Ruka called out, "Yuda! Shin! Gou! Get out of the clearing! It's a—,"

But before he could finish his warning, a blinding, mind-numbing pain shot up his body. Every nerve ending in his body felt as if it had been set a blaze, almost as though he had been hit by lightning. And from the screams his pain-muddled brain was able to make out, the others were suffering a similar fate.

When the pain finally dissipated, Ruka didn't even have the strength to remain standing. Immediately his legs gave way and he slunk to the ground, landing softly in a pile of long dead leaves. As he slowly began to sink into the painless black of unconsciousness, Ruka became aware of soft footsteps coming towards him.

Using the last of his energy to keep lift his head ever so slightly, Ruka caught a brief glimpse of a tall, graceful figure with long white hair, before a sharp pain split the back of his head, and the silver-haired angel slipped gratefully into velvet darkness.

* * *

**Dun dun dun! The return of the sadistic cliffhanger! Oh, how I missed doing that. **

**NinthFeather: I guess I'm not the only one you enjoy torturing, huh?**

**Me: Nope! I'm an equal opportunity sadist!**

**Ninthfeather: Wow...equal opportunity and sadist in the same sentence. Scary...**

**Me: ^-^ Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the new chapter! Now, you all know what comes next, so let's just get it over with...REVIEW! I NEED REVIEWS! I THRIVE OFF FEEDBACK! SO PLEASE, GIVE ME REVIEWS!**

**(1) Oh, and btw, that village name in the story, Cimpros, is completely and utterly made up. Just in case you were curious. **

**Well, that's all for now, my lovelies! Ta ta!**

**~Neko-chan~ **


	13. Caught

**Hi peoples! Welcome to chapter 13 of "Strength"! OMG, can you believe it? I'm actually updating this story ON TIME! It's a freakin' miracle!**

**NinthFeather: Actually, I'm pretty sure it's a sign of the apocolypse.**

**Me: Keep that up, Feather-chan, and your never getting out of those shackles.**

**NinthFeather: Eh, considering what a sadist you are, I'm probably going to end up in these shackles for the rest of my life, regardless of how nice I am, so why bother?**

**Me: Because I have the power to take away any access you have to anime, manga, and chocolate, in addition to keeping you shackled to the wall?**

**NinthFeather: O.O You wouldn't.**

**Me: Oh, but I would.**

**NinthFeather: No, not even you are that evil.**

**Me: Are you forgetting that you are currently shackled to a wall, compliments of Yours Truly?**

**NinthFeather: Crap.**

**Me: *smirks* Now, what was that you were saying?**

**NinthFeather: Um...I love you?**

**Me: That's what I thought.**

**Warning: Well, not a whole lot to warn about in this chapter. Some bishie abuse, but it is of the mild variety.**

**NinthFeather: For once.**

**Me: *smirks evilly***

**Disclaimer: I do not own the bishies, so you can go away now, Mr. Lawyer.**

* * *

It was mid morning on Earth, around 10 am to be precise. The sun was shining brightly, but did nothing to warm the crisp, cool October air. A gentle wind shook the brightly colored leaves from their branches and scattered them like confetti all through the sky. At first glance, it appeared to be just another beautiful autumn morning. However, if one looked closer, one would notice a certain red-headed boy storming angrily through these trees, occasionally knocking one over in his frustration.

"Ugh! Stupid Kira-nii-san! I don't understand what his problem is!" Maya grumbled, continuing his rather destructive trek through the forest.

Maya just couldn't understand why Kira was reacting the way he was. And who did he think he was, telling Maya he couldn't leave the house? Ok, yes, Kira was his older brother, but that most certainly did not give him the right to dictate what Maya could and could not do. After all, Maya was an adult angel, and perfectly capable of making his own decisions.

So what if on Earth he was only around fifteen years old, and thus not technically an adult? That was beside the point.

All he wanted to do was go into town by himself. The younger children there all loved him, and he had even made some friends among the older adolescents of the village. So what if some of the adult men gave him odd looks? It wasn't like any of them had tried anything.

_Ok, so maybe ONE person did_, Maya thought to himself, remembering the man who had offered the young angel a bag of coins to follow him into a dark back alley. In all honesty, Maya still had no idea what the man had been trying to do, but whatever it was, it couldn't have been good, as Kira had all but killed the poor man until he begged for mercy and promised never to approach Maya again.

But again, that was beside the point. The point was, Kira was clearly overreacting, and it was starting to piss Maya off.

Maya was so lost in his angry rants and mutterings that he did not take much notice of his surroundings. That is, until he tripped over a rather large protruding rock and found himself landing face first in a very wet, as well as very smelly, puddle of mud.

Biting his tongue to keep from screaming curses and profanities that most certainly would have gotten him kicked out of Heaven had he not already left (hey, you don't spend almost a year on Earth without picking up at least a few things), the small angel got to his feet. After saying a few simple spells to remove the worst of the mud from his clothes, skin, and hair, Maya finally stopped to take stock of his surroundings. Unfortunately, the conclusion he drew from his observations was not promising.

He had absolutely no idea where he was.

Maya had stopped his destruction of the forest about a mile back, and, while the ground was muddy, it was the kind of mud that, although it sucks your foot in and gives you hell getting it back out, once you succeed in freeing your self, it left no visible sign that you ever stepped there.

"Great," Maya grumbled, "Just great. First, I have a fight with Kira-nii-san, then I fall into a mud puddle, and now I'm lost! Ugh! Could this day get any—"

But before the words had even left the red head's mouth, the very air around him began to ring with ear-splitting, agony filled shrieks.

Forgetting all about his own troubles, Maya ran towards the source of the painful sounds, fearing what he would find when he reached his destination, and praying that he would not be too late. His feeling of dread only increased when the screams came to an abrupt end a few minutes later.

Throwing any caution he might have retained to the wind, Maya burst through another thicket of trees and came upon a clearing, and the scene that was taking place there made the smaller angel freeze in horror.

Yuda, Gou, Ruka, Shin and Gai all lay sprawled out on the ground, unconscious. They were surrounded by demons, all of whom appeared to be taking orders from a tall, white-haired man who currently stood over Ruka.

Maya felt his stomach roll over as a particularly grotesque demon picked Gai up and flung the small, limp angel over his deformed shoulder. Something so disgusting and defiled should never be allowed to lay a hand on his friend! He had to do something!

_I have to go get Kira-nii-san!_ Maya thought, all previous feelings of animosity towards his brother forgotten. _Then we can go to Heaven, tell Zeus-sama what happened, and—_

But before he even had a chance to finish his thought, an intense pain split his skull. Stars danced before the small angel's eyes, and the last thing he felt was a pair of strong, solid arms lifting him off the ground, before he finally faded into unfeeling blackness.

* * *

The dark-haired fallen angel looked curiously at the limp body in his arms. Well, this certainly was an unforeseen development. Not only have their kidnapping of the Saint Beasts witnessed, but having it witnessed by a young half-breed. Especially _this_ young half-breed. This was an annoyance they most definitely did not need.

Still, the dark angel had no desire to kill the young boy. Years of exile in hell had taught him to appreciate beautiful things, and this half-angel certainly fell into that category. Still, if he served no purpose...

The fallen angel smiled. No, this boy would serve a purpose. A most useful one at that. He chuckled darkly. Really, it never ceased to amaze him how easily those good little angels up in Heaven managed to fit into his plans.

"Lucifer-sama," The dark-haired angel turned at the sound of second-in-command, and loyal friend's, voice. The white-haired man stared distastefully at the red-haired half-angel in his master's arms. "Lucifer-sama, shall I...dispose of that for you?"

Lucifer chuckled at his friend's words. Clearly, Gabriel had yet to overcome certain prejudices. "Now, Gabriel, I'm surprised at you. Don't you realize who this is?"

Gabriel looked closer at the small boy, then reeled back in shock. "Lucifer-sama, is that..."

Lucifer smirked at the other fallen angel's reaction. "Yes, it is. And I know just how to make good use of him. Here," he said casually, passing the unconscious Maya to his second-in-command.

Taking a few steps back, Lucifer, with little effort, materialized his graceful, pitch black wings in the center of his back. He then reached back behind him and plucked a single, shining black feather from his left wing and dropped it, watching it float slowly to the ground.

The dark angel couldn't help but smirk at the confused look on his friend's face. "Lucifer-sama, why...?"

"Because, my friend," Lucifer replied casually, retrieving Maya from the white-haired man's arms, "This way will be so much more amusing."

* * *

**Well, that concludes chapter 13 of "Strength." I'd say I'm sorry for leaving you with yet another cliffhanger, but really, I'm not, so I won't bother.**

**NinthFeather: You know, you really should be kinder to your readers.**

**Me: Since when have you known me to care about what I should and should not do?**

**NinthFeather: Good point.**

**Me: Anyway, I hope you all liked the new chapter! I think you know what's coming next, but what the hell, I'll do it anyway...REVIEW! I HAVE BEEN A GOOD GIRL AND FINISHED THE NEW CHAPTER ON TIME, SO PLEASE REWARD ME WITH A REVIEW! PLEASE!**

**Until next time, my lovelies! Ja ne!**

**~Neko-chan~**


	14. Unexpected

**Hi y'all!! I'm baaa~aack, and guess what? I'M ON TIME AGAIN!! This is a moment that shall go down in history forever!! Because seriously, I think we all know that something like this never EVER happens.**

**NinthFeather:... x.x *passes out***

**Me: Feather-chan, are you alright?! *shakes Feather-chan repeatedly until she wakes up***

**NinthFeather: _Baka_! I'm fine, I'm fine! Stop shaking me already!**

**Me: Sorry. I was just trying to help.**

**NinthFeather: If that was your way of helping someone after they pass out, do the world a favor and never become a doctor.**

**Me:...You honestly think they'd let me into medical school? Where I'd have access to sharp metal objects and corrosive chemicals on a daily basis?**

**NinthFeather: Good point.**

**Me: By the way, why did you pass out in the first place?**

**NinthFeather: Because you actually updated...on time...twice in a row...I just can't process it. My brain keeps trying to tell me it's not possible. I think it actually goes against the laws of nature**

**Me: Yeah, well, we all know how much respect I have for laws.**

**NinthFeather: Again, good point.**

**Me: Oh, and by the way everyone, this chapter is dedicated to Sky'sShadow, for her amazingly awesome reviews; Meme12, for her awesome OC interactions that never cease to make me laugh; and SagaMoon, for the awesome conversation that kept me very entertained and motivated me to get this chapter out! Thank you all! **

**Now, on with the fic!**

**Warning: Well, not a whole lot to warn about in this chapter. A little inuendo at times, but that's about it.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own the bishies, so if you haven't done so already, please send your lawyers home.**

* * *

Rei hated waiting. He really, truly did. Sure, he was always lecturing Gai about the smaller angel's lack of patience, but really, what annoyed Rei was not the cat-like angel's impatience, but his inability to conceal it. In reality, Rei was just as impatient, if not more so, than Gai.

So the fact that he was unable to do anything but wait for Ruka and the others to return irritated Rei to no end. Every time he thought about Ruka fighting a whole pack of demons...or Gai in the clutches of some demon twice his size...or Shin bloodied and battered with a demon closing in on him...it was enough to make the violet-haired angel insane!

Thus, after the others had been gone for little more than a day, he decided that, in order to keep his sanity—and most of Heaven—intact, Rei began finding ways to keep himself busy in any way his mind could think up.

First, he did a two hour solitary training session in the woods behind Heaven's Palace. Under normal circumstances, he would have gone to the valley, but ever since the accident, Rei couldn't go near the place without feeling extremely claustrophobic.

Next, he helped train the adolescent angels who were due to become adults on the next Day of Benediction. It was a long standing tradition that, before young angels could become adults, they had to pass a rigorous test. In preparation for said test, the young ones could use all the training they could get.

Then, for lack of any other ideas, Rei decided to clean. While he was not too fond of the activity itself (being one who preferred working in the kitchen to working elsewhere in the house), it at least provided a means of distracting him from his thoughts.

Unfortunately, it was only a temporary means because, as large as Heaven's Palace was, Rei still managed to have the cleaning finished within five hours of starting. Well, Kira had always said he'd make a good housewife, and, after finishing his task, Rei was forced to begrudgingly agree.

Not that he'd ever tell Kira that. _Ever_.

Fortunately, however, it was close to eleven thirty at night by the time Rei was done cleaning and, with all the activity the delicate angel had put himself through that day, he was more than happy to fall into his bed and succumb to a dreamless, exhaustion-fueled sleep, where all his thoughts and worries would just disappear.

At least for the night.

* * *

"Rei! Rei, wake up!"

Rei moaned and turned over in his bed. Much as he loved Ruka, he was not ready to leave the comforting arms of sleep just yet.

A firm hand shook his slim shoulder. "Rei! Come on, Rei. Get up!"

"Let me sleep a while longer, Ruka. I'm still tired," Rei muttered blearily, attempting to move away from the hand that was shaking him.

"Oh, for the love of God, Rei. GET THE HELL UP!"

Rei, who by this time realized that whoever was shouting at him could not possibly be Ruka, immediately sat up and, clutching the sheet against his bare chest, turned to face whoever had broken into his room, ready to attack at first sign of danger.

There was no danger, but there was certainly a great deal of shock.

"K-Kira?" Rei stuttered in shock, staring at the blonde angel who was currently seated next to his bed. Rei could honestly say that Kira was the last person the violet-haired angel ever expected to see in his bedroom. "What in Heaven are you doing here? Why aren't you still on Earth? And where's Maya?"

At the mention of his little brother's name, Kira's face took on a somewhat pained expression, but none the less, his response was as sarcastic and condescending as ever. "Do you want the answers to those questions in that specific order?"

Rei frowned. "I don't care what order they're in, but I would definitely appreciate some explanation as to why you are currently in my bedroom in the middle of the night."

Kira snorted. "Well, it's certainly not for the company, I'll tell you that much. Although..." Kira trailed off suggestively, raking his gaze up and down Rei's slender form.

Rei blushed with a combination of anger and embarrassment and hugged the sheet tighter against his body. After spending several nights with Ruka, he had gotten into the habit of not wearing any clothing to bed and, while he knew Kira was only saying those things to embarrass him, he still wished he had something more than a sheet with which to cover himself.

Apparently satisfied that he had adequately embarrassed Rei for the time being, Kira's face grew serious. "Rei...Maya's missing."

"W-What? Maya is...how do you know? What happened?!" Rei asked frantically. Yes, Rei absolutely loathed Kira, but Maya was a different story. The small half angel had always been sweet and energetic, and his smile always seemed to bring smiles to the faces of everyone around him.

Rei had always been fond of Maya, and those feelings had only deepened after the incident six months ago. Ever since Rei had sacrificed his own safety to save Maya from Stheno's whip, the red-haired boy had become very attached to Rei. Kira had mocked that Rei had practically become Maya's mother, but in all honesty, that wasn't too far from the truth. Rei had become very protective of Maya as well, though not to Kira's near fanatical extent.

"How do I know? Let's see...maybe because he hasn't come home?" Kira replied sarcastically, but this time Rei could see that his callousness was hiding his true worry and terror for his younger brother. "As to what happened, well...I have a pretty good idea."

The blonde angel reached into his pocket and pulled out a single, black feather.

Rei's heart nearly stopped beating in his chest. The feather was obviously that of an angel, for angel feathers gave off a certain aura that could not be mistaken for anything else, but for it to be black...only one angel possessed wings of such a color. Or, more accurately, only one fallen angel.

Lucifer.

"B-But...but how...why..." Rei was unable to form a coherent sentence. His terror for Maya clouded all thought.

Kira sighed, seeming to have lost the energy to maintain his sarcastic dialogue, "I don't know. I mean, there is _that_, but he wouldn't take Maya for such a reason. No it must have been something else..."

Rei, who had absolutely no idea what the "that" was that Kira was referring to, was about to question the blonde angel when he was cut off, "Rei, there's something else you should know..." Kira paused, seeming unsure as to how to continue. Finally he looked Rei in the eye, and, in the most solemn voice Rei had ever heard him use, completely shattered what was left of Rei's world.

"He has the Saint Beasts as well."

* * *

Ruka groaned as consciousness began to break through the hazy fog of sleep, bringing with it many varieties of pain. His head was aching so fiercely, it felt as if it would split in two. Both his shoulders throbbed in pain, and his whole body tingled painfully, as if he were being stabbed all over with thousands of needles. All except his hands, which were strangely numb.

The silver-haired angel soon realized that this was because he was currently suspended above the ground by his wrists, were chained above his head the wall. This also accounted for the fierce pain in his shoulders which, if he were able to see them properly, he was sure were severely bruised, if not completely dislocated, by now.

After taking stock of his injuries and coming to the conclusion that, while they were indeed very painful, none of them were life-threatening, he tried to think back on what had happened.

Unfortunately, the only things he could remember were the seal, that awful, electrifying pain, and the vague impression of a figure with white hair standing over him. Not a whole lot to go on.

So, due to his current lack of useful information, Ruka decided it would be best to survey his surroundings and, hopefully, get some idea as to where he was.

The space was only lit by a few, small torches, but the dim light, combined with the feeling of stone on his back, was enough to let Ruka know that he was being kept in a cave. And judging by the way the light didn't reach the ceiling, it was a very large cave as well.

A soft groan to his left alerted him to the presence of others in the cave, and he quickly turned his head toward the noise. He let out a relieved sigh upon discovering the identity of his cave-mate.

"Yuda. Yuda! Are you alright?" Ruka asked, keeping his voice low in case others were listening. Yuda was hanging from the cave wall in the same manner as Ruka and, judging by his pain-filled moaning, he was feeling similar sensations as well.

The read-haired angel let out another groan in response, "Ugh, I believe I am alright. At least, it's nothing I won't heal from." Yuda turned his head to peer at Ruka through the darkness, "Ruka, what happened?"

Ruka smiled grimly, "I'm afraid you know as much as I do, my friend. I have no idea where we are, nor have I seen any clue as to who are captors may be," Ruka sighed. "I don't even know where the others are being held, or if they have been captured at all."

"Oh, don't worry, we're right here with you guys. Though unfortunately, we're also in the same situation."

Both Yuda and Ruka's heads snapped up at the sound of the comfortingly familiar, yet at the same time unwelcome, childish voice.

Chained to the cave wall directly across from them were Gai, Shin, and...

Maya.

Ruka frowned in confusion. What was Maya doing there? He hadn't been with them when they had been captured. And even if he had, he was not a Saint Beast, so the seal would not have affected him. So why...?

Ruka shook off those thoughts. He could ask about that later. Right now, they had bigger problems. "Well, while I can honestly say this is one time where I'm not happy to see you, Gai, I'm glad you're alright. But where's Gou?"

"Right next to you," responded a deep voice from his right. Turning to look, Ruka saw that indeed, Gou was chained in the same manner as himself on the area of the cave wall immediately to his right.

"Shin, are you alright?" Yuda asked worriedly, pulling at his chains in an attempt to see his beloved more clearly.

"Yes, Yuda. I'm fine," Shin's voice was weak, and a little shaky, but otherwise calm. "What about you?"

Yuda smiled, relieved to hear Shin's melodious voice, no matter how faint it may be. "I'm alright."

"Yuda-san!" Maya interupted anxiously, turning his body so he could see the larger angel.

Yuda looked up in surprise and mild horror at the sound of Maya's voice. "Maya?! What are you—,"

"That's not important right now, Yuda-san!" Maya practically shouted. "I need to tell you—,"

"Ah, good. It appears you are all finally awake," came a deep voice further back in the cave. Six heads simultaneously turned towards the source of the voice and, a few seconds later six faces simultaneously turned into masks of complete and utter horror.

* * *

**Well, not much of a cliffhanger this time, since you probably all know who it is anyway, but still, I couldn't resist...**

**NinthFeather: Seriously, I think you're addicted to writing cliffhangers.**

**Me: And this is a problem because...?**

**NinthFeather: *sighs, places head in hands* What am I going to do with you...**

**Me: My parents have been asking themsleves the same question since the day I was born. If they haven't found the answer yet, I doubt you will.**

**Adios for now, everyone! Ja ne!**

**~Neko-chan~**


	15. Judecca Part I

**Hi y'all! Yes yes, I know I'm late blah blah I suck blah blah blah. Ok, moving on! First order of business, I know this chapter is kind of short, but in my defense, my life has not allowed much time for writing lately. But I'm doing my best! I really am!**

**Anyway, second order of business, NinthFeather escaped again. SOMEONE *looks accusingly at Meme12* gave her the key to the shackles, so now, not only to I have to hunt her down YET AGAIN, I have to go find a new supplier for my shackles. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find good shackle suppilers these days? *sigh* Oh well. I'll figure something out...**

**And now, on with the fic!**

**Warning: Well, this chapter doesn't have a lot to warn about. Some slight trauma on Shin's part, but that's pretty much it.**

**Disclaimer: Why must I do this every time? Is it really necessary? *sigh* No, I do not own the bishies *mutters* Not that we haven't already established that by now...**

* * *

Rei's heart seemed to freeze in his chest, and the air in his lungs seemed to turn solid as he struggled to find the breath to respond.

"H-How? How do you know?" Rei asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Kira looked at him somberly. "I found this feather in a clearing in the forest close to where Maya and I had been staying. When I came upon it while searching for Maya, I found these encircling the clearing." Kira reached into the small bag he had slung over his shoulder and took out a smooth, flat stone, handing it to Rei.

Rei took one look at the seal drawn in blood on the stone and immediately knew Kira was right.

Lucifer had the Saint Beasts.

Lucifer...the Fallen One...the Black Angel...the Harbinger of Death...the Lord of Hell. His names were many, but none of them brought Rei any comfort.

_He...He has them..._Rei thought, letting the stone slip from his hands on to the bed. _He really has them. He has Yuda...Gou...Shin...Gai..._

_He has Ruka._

That last thought was enough to break Rei out of his stunned stupor and clear his head. Turning to Kira, he asked calmly, "What else do you know? Were there any other clues as to where He might have taken Maya and the others?"

Kira, taken aback by the sudden change in Rei's demeanor, hesitated a moment before replying, "Uh, yeah. The whole clearing reeked with the smell of demons, so I'm pretty sure Lucifer took them to—,"

"Hell," Rei finished, cutting Kira off. Of course, that part was obvious. The only question was, which part of hell were their friends being held in?

Rei shuddered. Unfortunately, he knew the answer to that question as well, though he wished to Zeus that he did not. Wrapping the sheet around his slender body to cover himself, Rei stood up from the bed and, without a word, walked over to his closet.

"Rei? What the hell are you doing?" Kira shouted, looking at the violet-haired angel like he had lost his mind.

Rei glanced over his shoulder at Kira, his voice still retaining its earlier cold composure, "You don't expect me to go storming into Hell to save our friends clad in only a sheet, now do you?"

Now Kira was sure Rei had gone crazy. "S-Storming into Hell? Rei, have you lost your mind? Even if we did know where in the countless circles of Hell the others were being held, we'd need a whole army of angels before we could even think of mounting a rescue! And even then—,"

"I am well aware of all that, Kira," Rei replied calmly. "However, here are some things of which you should be made aware. Firstly, there is no army, no matter how large or how powerful, that could take on the massive legions of Hell."

"Secondly, even if there were such an army, let us be frank; Zeus would still not risk upsetting the delicate balance between Heaven and Hell over five angels and one half-angel, no matter how powerful said individuals may be."

"And lastly, we do know where in Hell Maya and the others are being held."

For a few minutes after his speech, Kira could do nothing but stare at the sheet-clad angel in front of him. Truthfully, the half-angel had never seen Rei like this before. Was this really the same angel who would explode in anger every time Kira teased him? Kira wasn't so sure.

Eventually, Kira managed to recover from his shock and reply, "Ok, Rei, if you're so sure, mind enlightening me as to where my little brother and the others are being held, and while you're at it, how the hell you're so damn sure?"

Rei just leveled his steady amber gaze at the golden-haired man. "It's obvious that Lucifer would want to hold the Saint Beasts—and by extension, your little brother—in a place that he feels is most secure. The one place that he is positive that no one, not even angels as powerful as the Saint Beasts, could ever escape from. The deepest circle of Hell."

All color drained from Kira's face. "Please tell me...you're not serious..."

Rei nodded. "Yes. They're in Judecca (1)."

* * *

"L-Lucifer," Gai stuttered, breaking the horrified silence that had befallen the six captive angels at the sight of the black-clad figure.

Lucifer smiled, a gesture that was probably intended to be comforting, but in reality served no other purpose than to send shivers down the spines of the Saint Beasts. "My guests, I apologize for not being here to greet you when you first awoke, but nevertheless, I bid you welcome." The black angel finished with an elegant mock bow.

"And may I be so bold as to ask where exactly it is that we are so welcome?" Shin asked, struggling to keep the tremor of fear from his voice.

Lucifer's smile widened as he slowly glided closer to Shin, causing the smaller angel to press himself further into the wall of the cave. "Why, I should think it was perfectly obvious, Genbu. You are in Judecca, the High Capital of my paradise, Hell."

A collective gasp of horror and understanding went through the six captives as they began to realize exactly how dire their situation was. They were in Judecca, the deepest circle of Hell. A place of pure evil where even the most vile and desecrated of beings feared to tread. The very gates to this cursed were inscribed with the words "omnes relinquite spes, o vos intrantes (2)."

"Why, Lucifer? Why have you brought us here? What purpose could such actions possibly serve?" Yuda shouted, practically shaking with the force of his anger.

Lucifer turned toward Yuda, the ice cold smile slipping from his face. "Purpose? My dear Yuda, must you always think the worst of me? I assure you, I am only doing this for your benefit. And really, you left me with few other alternatives. After you and the Seiryuu rudely rejected my offer to join me in my paradise, I was forced to resort to more...unconventional methods of persuasion."

"Although," Lucifer continued, turning back to Shin, "I can see now why you would wish to go back to that wretched, slave-like life in Heaven, with such a beauty as the Genbu here awaiting your return," he purred, gently weaving his fingers through Shin's soft, aqua hair, which had, at some point, been knocked loose from it's usual tie.

"Do. Not. Touch. Him, Lucifer," Yuda growled, his ice blue eyes glinting with barely restrained rage. Shin cringed away from the unwelcome touch and shuddered, both from the disgusting feel of Lucifer's hands and the terrifying, unfamiliar tone to Yuda's voice.

The fallen angel smirked, stepping back from Shin and walking back in the direction from which he had come. "Well, much as I hate to further neglect you, my guests, I'm afraid I have some other matters that I must attend to at the moment. However, I would not want to be thought a poor host, so I will leave you with someone else who can further...entertain you," and with a final, dark chuckle, Lucifer left the cave.

Almost simultaneously, footsteps echoed from the other end of the cave, and soon, a figure became visible in the faint torch light. A figure whose painful, bloody demise Ruka had dreamt about for the past six months. Slowly, and with all the hatred and malice he could imbed into it, Ruka ground out that despised and hated name.

"Stheno."

* * *

**And that, my friends, is chapter 15! Like I said, I know it's a bit on the short side, but the next few chapters should be longer!**

**Speaking of the next few chapters, I have something to discuss with all of you. These next couple chapters are going to be...bad. Very bad. As in, the bishie abuse factor will go through the roof. I may have to raise the rating on this story to M, depending on how bad it gets. But we'll see what happens. I just wanted to give you all fair warning in case it happens.**

**Now, here's an explanation for some things you might not have understood in the story.**

**(1) Judecca is the deepest part of the ninth circle of Hell in Dante's "The Inferno." It is reserved for only the worst and most grievous of sinners.**

**(2) This is Latin, the translation being "Abandon hope, ye who enter here." It is the inscription above the gates of Hell in Dante's "The Inferno."**

**Adios for now!**

**~Neko-chan~**


	16. Judecca Part II

**Ok, so my muse decided to go all bipolar on me (yet again) and gave me so much inspiration for this next chapter that, low and behold, it is not only on time, it is early! O.O OMG! This is a moment that shall be celebrated throughout history, as it has never happened, and more than likely never will again!**

**An unfortunate down side to this early publication, however, is that I have yet to re-capture Feather-chan. *sigh* That girl just doesn't know when to quit... **

**So yeah, as promised, this chapter is much longer than the last one. However, I don't think the length, or the fact that it was published WAY early, will matter to you by the end of it, cause you're going to want to kill me either way. Just warning you.**

**And now, on with the fic!**

**Warning: There is some serious bishie abuse in this chapter. Not M worthy (yet), but still pretty bad. You'll probably hate me by the end.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the bishies. Except Stheno, but he's not really a bishie, so he doesn't count. Besides, who would really want to own Stheno? He's icky.**

* * *

"You're insane."

Rei sighed. This was probably the fiftieth time Kira had said that to him, and quite frankly, it was starting to wear on him.

"I mean, not only are you suggesting that we attempt a raid of Judecca, the High Capital of Hell and a place of pure evil, based on the the possibility that Maya and the others _might_ be there, but you're also suggesting we do it alone? This is completely crazy, even for you!"

"Kira," Rei stated, as calmly as he could manage, "As I have explained to you numerous times, I realize that this plan is risky—,"

"Risky? Oh Rei, this plan isn't just risky, it's Goddamn suicidal! I can't believe you're even considering this! The only thing this plan will succeed in doing is putting the both of us in the same position as the others, where we won't be able to do them any good! Do you want to end up as a toy to some demon? Cause I sure as hell don't!"

Rei flinched at the hard edge in Kira's tone, and shuddered violently at the picture his words painted. He knew all too well what the demons did to the angels, and occasionally the humans, that they captured, and it made what Stheno did to him six months ago look like an innocent game.

"Seriously, Rei, I knew you could be impulsive, but this is just stupid! Are you really that much of an idiot that you think this could actually work? How in Heaven or Earth do expect us to—,"

"Then what would you have me do, Kira?" Rei shouted, cutting the ranting half-angel off. "What would you have either of us do? Should we just sit here safe in Heaven and hope that Lucifer decided to return our friends when he's finished with them?"

"I...I didn't say that!" Kira shouted back after a moment's hesitation. To say Rei's outburst had stunned him would be an understatement. The delicate, feminine angel was soft spoken even at the best of times. Still, Kira was not one to back down from an argument simply because of a little surprise. "I just meant that we should think this through and—,"

But once again, Rei cut the half-angel off, "'Think this through and...' what? What is there to think through? Tell me, what options do we really have available to us at this point, Kira? Because if you know of any, please, enlighten me."

For once, Kira had no response, and merely looked away so he wouldn't have to meet Rei's intense gaze.

"Here's something for you to 'think' about, Kira," Rei continued, beginning to feel the burning of tears behind his eyes. "What do you think they are doing to Maya and the others right now? You're the one who mentioned about becoming a toy for the demons. Well, that's exactly the situation our friends are in now. Lucifer can do whatever he wants to them now, and we're just standing here 'thinking'! He could be beating them, torturing them, or worse..." Rei trailed off, realizing exactly what the "or worse" could entail.

"Gou, Shin, Gai, Yuda...Ruka...they're your friends as much as mine! Do you really want to just leave them in a situation like that? And what about Maya? He's supposed to be your precious younger brother! Just imagine what they could be doing to him! Or is it that you simply do not care what happens to him?"

_Slap!_

The awful sound of flesh striking flesh echoed through the room as Rei reeled back, a hand held gently against his rapidly bruising cheek. He looked up at Kira in shock, the tears finally beginning to fall down his face, and not just from the pain in his cheek.

Kira himself was shocked at what he had just done. _I-I just hit Rei. Hell, forget hitting him, I damn well backhanded him!_ Yes, he and Rei had had more than their fair share of arguments before, and, if truth be told, Kira often went out of his way to antagonize the feminine angel, but they had never come to blows before!

Silently, Rei stood up from where he had fallen against his bed and walked to the door, pausing when he stood in the doorway. Without even turning to look back at the silent half-angel, he said, "Kira, do as you please. I don't care. I am going to Judecca to rescue my friends, whether you choose to accompany me or not."

* * *

"You son of a bitch!" cried Ruka, violently pulling at his bonds in a vain attempt to attack the smirking angel in front of him. Ruka couldn't believe it. After six months without even a trace of Stheno, the bastard shows up here? In Judecca? If Ruka hadn't been so furious about the fact that he was unable to kill Stheno at the moment, he would have found that knowledge ironically appropriate.

"Good day to you, Houou no Ruka-sama," Stheno purred with a mocking bow. "I trust you are doing well?"

"I'll be better once these chains are removed so that I may tear you limb from limb!" Ruka growled, glaring venomously at the angel before him.

"Why, Ruka-sama! What could I have possibly done to have earned such cruel words?" Stheno asked, feigning hurt and surprise. "Especially after I took such good care of that little bird of ours. And speaking of which," Stheno continued, smirking, "How is Rei-sama?"

"After what you did to him, you don't even have the right to speak his name, you bastard!" Much to everyone's surprise, this exclamation did not come from Ruka, but from Yuda.

Stheno sighed. "Ah, so even Yuda-sama is angry with me as well? I am truly sorry to hear this. However, is it really me towards whom you should direct your anger?" he asked, turning and walking towards Maya.

The small red-haired angel began to tremble as Stheno came towards him, remembering all too clearly that what had happened to Rei had been intended for him. Nevertheless, Maya steeled himself and glared boldly back at Stheno when he stopped in front of the captive half-angel.

"After all, it was never my intention to harm Rei-sama in any way. I was only doing my duty as an angel to rid Heaven of certain...vermin," Stheno continued, giving Maya a disgusted look. "Because Rei-sama chose to try and protect such filthy creatures, he, unfortunately, had to be dealt with as well. So, rather than blaming me for Rei-sama's injuries, should you not blame the insects he was trying to protect?"

"B-But I'm not the one who hurt Rei-san! You are!" Maya shouted, surprising everyone, including himself, with his sudden outburst. After a moment's hesitation he began again, speaking a bit more softly, though his voice still trembled. "I-I know it was my fault when Rei-san protected me from your whip, and I know I also carry some of the blame for when he f-fell."

Maya shuddered, remembering all too well the sickening anxiety he felt as they had begun to drop from the sky. They would have surely been impaled on the branches of the trees and perished had Rei not managed to slow their descent at the last minute.

"B-But what you did to Rei-san after Kira-nii-san and I left was not my fault! We should not have left him alone, but that does not mean you are blameless in what happened! I saw what you d-did to R-Rei-san's back," Tears began to flow down Maya's cheeks as he remembered exactly how torn and abused the violet-haired angel had been. "How could you do that to him? He was completely defenseless! Only a monster would be so cruel! You call me vermin, but you are the one who is truly disgusting, Stheno!"

A loud crack echoed throughout the cave as Stheno punched Maya across the face with as much force as he could muster. Maya cried out as his head snapped to the side, the left side of his head connecting with the cave wall with such force that the small half-angel saw stars.

Stheno then reached out and gripped Maya's now-bleeding chin hard in his hand. "You'd do well to watch that tongue of yours, you filthy little half-breed," he growled, "Or someday, someone might come and rip it out."

"Get away from Maya, you bastard!" Gai shouted, thrashing violently against the chains that held him. No one hurt Maya like that and got away with it! Not while Gai was around!

Stheno chuckled and released Maya, moving to stand in front of the small, cat-like angel. "Really, Byakko no Gai-sama, I will never understand how one as great and powerful as yourself would willing associate with such...trash."

Gai opened his mouth to reply, but Shin cut him off. He knew how the smallest of the Saint Beasts could get when he was angry, and he did not wish to see Gai come to harm over some thoughtless, yet well-deserved words. Nor did he wish to see Gou completely lose control of his temper, which would inevitably happen should anything happen to the blonde, cat-like angel.

"Stheno, why are you doing this? Why are you working with Lucifer? Do you realize that you have betrayed Heaven? What could you possibly have to gain from this course of action?"

Stheno's smile widened as he walked over and stood in front of Shin. "I should think the answer to that question was quite obvious, Shin-sama, especially for one as intelligent as yourself," Stheno smirked, "It's quite simple really. I join Lucifer-sama and help him capture the six Saint Beasts, and in return..."

"I get Rei-sama."

There was a collective gasp among all of the captive angels in the cave, followed by various shouts of outrage and vehement denial from all of them. The shouting died down, however, as Shin asked his next question.

"Why?" Shin cried, shaking with fury. "Why are you so set on Rei? What could he possibly have done to warrant so much malice from you?"

Stheno laughed and shook his head. "Shin-sama, I'm afraid you have gravely misunderstood my intentions. I bear no malicious intent towards Rei-sama. On the contrary, I merely have some unfinished business with him."

Ruka and Yuda both stiffened in unison, realizing what Stheno alluding to, however, before they could cut in, Shin asked, "And what, pray tell, might this 'unfinished business' be?"

Stheno smiled and drew even closer to Shin, so close that the aqua-haired angel could feel the heat radiating off Stheno's body. Slowly, sensuously, Stheno ran his hand up Shin's side, caressing his hip and moving up the side of his waist and chest. Wrapping his free arm around Shin's slender waist when the smaller angel cried out and struggled to move away, Stheno leaned up and purred in Shin's ear, "Would you like me to show you?"

* * *

**I'M SORRY! I know, I'm the scum of the Earth! First I torture Rei mercilessly, now I'm torturing Shin and Maya too! I suck! *crawls into a hole and cries***

**Unfortunately (or fortunately, if you're a sadist like me. Hehehe) the bishie toture is not over. Not by a long shot. In fact, from here on out, it's only going to get worse. MUCH worse. Be prepared.**

**Also, I've meaning to tell you guys this for a while, but I keep forgetting. In future chapters, there will be some spoilers for the "Saint Beast" drama cds. Don't worry, even if you haven't listened to the cds, you'll still be able to understand the plot, but if you were planning on listening to the cds and don't want spoilers, I suggest you stop reading this story now.**

**Until next time, my lovelies!**

**~Neko-chan~**


	17. Revulsion

***peeks out nervously from behind protective shield* Umm...hi. EEEEP! *ducks behind shield as various rotten fruits and vegetables are thrown at her* Ok, ok, I get it! I'm sorry! I know I'm super, super late! See, I had a major case of writer's block for this fic, and then my muse, as bipolar as she is, gave me an idea for an 07 Ghost fic (which took me over a week to write!) and then, well...I got lazy. So yeah...sorry about my lateness. Blame my muse. It's all her fault.**

**Now, on to other matters. Because of the business (and laziness) of the past few weeks, I STILL have not re-captured Feather-chan. After years of being my best friend/captive, she's gotten really good at hiding from me, so finding her may take me a little while. Sorry.**

**Also, I'm SERIOUSLY considering changing the rating of this fic from T to M. However, I am not going to do it yet, unless someone complains and/or tells me I should. Just a little forewarning.**

**And now, on with the fic! XD**

**Warning: BISHIE ABUSE! MAJOR FREAKIN' BISHIES ABUSE! I assume you all remember where I left off last time? Yeah, it gets worse. So if you are easily freaked out, or just don't like this type of fic, I suggest hitting that little arrow at the top of the screen marked 'Back' right now.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own the bishies. Unfortunately, I do own Stheno, but after the events of this chapter, I'm seriously thinking of selling him off to the highest bidder...**

* * *

Rei lost himself in his thoughts as he wandered through the Forest of Purgatory (1). Normally, this forest was forbidden to angels, and in truth only a few, high rank angels even knew of its existence. For their kind, it was something out of horror stories, a place caught between Heaven and Hell, created for lost souls who, in life, had allegiance to neither good nor evil. A place without rest, where the dead wandered for all eternity. A place that most angels would only see in their nightmares.

But, as Rei had been learning more and more of late, nightmares had this unfortunate habit of coming true.

But it was not thoughts of his nightmarish surroundings that distracted him, nor was it thoughts of the horrors he would soon face. No, his thoughts were clouded with terror, shock, anger, and above all...

Guilt.

Rei should have descended to Earth with his friends. He should have been with them. He should have protected them. Oh, why had he let Ruka have his way? Why hadn't he insisted on coming along? Maybe if he had...

_You'd be locked up in the deepest circle of Hell right along with them._ A voice in his head, that sounded annoyingly like Kira, supplied.

Kira. Rei gently held a hand to his cheek as he thought about the half-angel, wincing at the tenderness that still lingered from the blonde's slap. His face was probably already starting to bruise, but the pain of it was nothing compared to the guilt he was feeling.

How could he have accused Kira of not caring for Maya? Rei could not think of anyone who could lay claim to a fiercer, more devoted love than that of Kira for his younger brother. And the look on Kira's face when Rei had said that to him...

True, Kira had been wrong to hit him, but after what Rei had said to him, the violet-haired angel had practically been asking for it.

Rei was seriously considering turning around and going back up to Heaven to apologize to Kira, when he suddenly felt a large, warm hand grip his upper arm tightly from behind, halting Rei's forward progress.

Acting on instinct, Rei kicked his leg out behind him, feeling it connect with his assailant's shin with a satisfying grunt of pain. As the hand on his arm loosened, Rei jumped away and spun around to face his attacker. Yet, to his infinite surprise, it was not a demon or an evil spirit that met his sights, but...

"Kira?" Rei gasped, shock evident on his face. Of all the beings he had expected to meet in the Forest, Kira was certainly the one Rei had not anticipated, especially not after their last altercation. "What are you doing here?"

"Apparently getting assaulted by an angelic nutcase," Kira muttered, rubbing his sore leg. "Dammit, did you have to kick me hard?"

Rei's expression of open-mouthed shock morphed into a somewhat self-satisfied smirk. He had wanted to give the half-angel a good kick in the shin for a while now, but somehow this was never how he had envisioned it happening.

"Well, had you made your presence known to me before you decided to grab my arm, I would not have kicked you," Rei replied defensively.

Kira just continued messaging his sore shin and grumbling about stupid, jumpy angels overreacting for the next few minutes until Rei, getting more than a little annoyed, asked, "So what are you doing here, Kira? I thought you said it was 'stupid, reckless, and suicidal' to try and rescue the others from Judecca."

"You forgot insane," Kira added, earning himself a glare from Rei, "And it still is. However, we have a better chance of getting out of through this 'plan' of yours alive if we go together. If I let you go to Judecca alone, not only would you lose your own life, you'd probably get the others killed as well."

Rei's cheeks flushed in anger as he glared heatedly at the half-angel. He opened his mouth to retort, but Kira cut him off. "And also...I wanted to..." he stopped seeming to have trouble finding the correct words, before mumbled, "I wanted to apologize. You know, for hitting you."

Whatever angry comment Rei had been planning to say died on his tongue and he stared at the blonde in shock. Did Kira really just...apologize? To him? Had Rei heard him right? After all, the violet-haired angel had never known Kira to show regret for any of his actions, and especially none that involved Rei.

After a few moments, Rei had gotten over the worst of his shock and bowed his head in shame, replying, "It's all right, Kira. I should not have said what I did to you. I lost my temper, and ended up saying something inexcusable. If anything, I deserved the blow you dealt me."

"Yes, you did," Kira said coolly. Rei's head snapped up and he looked at the half-angel in shock, only to find Kira smiling jokingly. "But I still should not have done it."

Rei smiled timidly, then flinched in surprise as Kira reached out a hand toward his face. Pulling back at the smaller angel's reaction, Kira observed quietly, "Damn, I must have really hit you hard. Your cheek is already turning purple."

Rei was once again shocked by the remorse in Kira's voice, and for some strange reason, he felt compelled relieve the blonde's guilt. Smiling widely and resisting the urge to wince at the pain such an action cause his bruised face, Rei said cheerfully, "Don't worry about it, Kira! I'm fine! And besides, we're even now, as I can guarantee you that, in a couple of hours, your leg will look much worse than my face."

Kira smirked, "I very much doubt that. I hate to break it to you, Rei, but you kick like a human woman."

Rei scowled and turned around, continuing in the direction he had been going before his meeting with Kira and wondering why he even bothered with the annoying half-angel. Kira just followed behind him silently, and with a slight limp.

* * *

"Get your. Filthy. Hands. Off. Him," Yuda growled, his normally kind blue eyes becoming cold, empty shards of ice. He was beyond rage. There were no words to describe the emotions that welled up inside him at the sight of Stheno running his filthy hand all over Shin's body, touching places that only Yuda had the privilege touch. A small, logical part of his mind registered that this must have been what Ruka had been feeling all those months ago in the library, but at the moment, Yuda was too far gone to care.

Stheno merely smirked, not even looking back at the crimson-haired angel. "Now why would I do that, Yuda-sama?" Stheno purred, leaning up so he was speaking right next to Shin's ear. "After all, he seems to be enjoying this as well, aren't you, Shin-sama?"

Shin shuddered at the feeling of Stheno's hot breath on his face, and he had to call upon all his self-control not to gag when Stheno began caressing the the shell of Shin's ear with his tongue. Enjoying it? How could he possibly enjoy something like this? Never had he felt anything so repulsive, so revolting. Stheno's touches were harsh and callous, nothing like Yuda's tender, loving caresses.

Though Shin had been doing his best to keep quiet throughout the ordeal so as not to give Stheno any additional satisfaction in what he was doing, the aqua-haired angel could not suppress a whimper of disgust as Stheno lips latched onto his neck and his hand roughly shoved itself between the captive angel's legs. The hand began slowly, tortuously, messaging its way up Shin's inner thigh, growing closer and closer to the area that only Yuda had ever been permitted to touch.

"S-Stop...stop please!" Shin begged, squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to block out what was happening. Honestly, he didn't know whether he wanted to cry or vomit. The very thought that someone other than Yuda was touching him like this made the amber-eyed angel's skin crawl in disgust, and the knowledge that he could do nothing to stop it made his entire body burn with shame.

"Stop it! Leave him alone, you bastard!" Gou shouted, tugging futilely at the chains that bound him to the wall. While the relationship he had with Shin was nothing like that between Yuda and Shin, Gou had always been close to the aqua-haired angel. Shin was like a younger brother to him, and seeing him be forced to go through such a violating, disgusting ordeal was enough to make the brunette angel's blood boil.

Similar screams of anger and protest were made by the other captive angels in the room, but Stheno merely continued his ministrations, ignoring them all. Shin let out a strangled cry as he felt one of Stheno's hands slide further and further down his back, while his other hand slowly slid up the side of Shin's slim thigh and up to his waist, slowly, tauntingly, beginning to undo the clasps of the smaller angel's robe.

"S-Stop," Yuda whispered, completely horror struck at the turn of events. "Stop, you bastard. Don't you dare touch him. Do you hear me, Stheno? DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH SHIN!" Yuda shouted frantically, tugging at his bonds hard enough to send streams of blood flowing down his arms.

Now Shin was fighting and kicking with everything ounce of strength he had, desperately trying to get Stheno away from him. But his efforts were useless, and Stheno merely laughed and continued his task of undressing the Saint Beast. Eventually, Shin just gave up, letting his body go limp as he turned his head to the side, so at least he would not have to watch. Tears flowed down his cheeks as one clasp was undone...then a second...

"Stheno, enough," ordered a cold, deep voice from the far entrance of the cave. Everyone in the cave immediately looked toward the source of the sound, all but Stheno looking very surprised to see Gabriel, not Lucifer, emerging from the shadows.

Stheno merely smirked, "Oh come now, Gabriel-sama. I'm just having a bit of fun. Why don't you join me? I don't mind sharing, you know..." Stheno crooned, his hand beginning to work on the third clasp of Shin's robe.

"No, Stheno," Gabriel said, his voice never changing from its icy monotone. "Our bargain was that you could have the Suzaku in exchange for your assistance. Nowhere in that agreement are you permitted to have your 'fun' with the Genbu. Now, let him go."

Stheno sighed in disappointment, then, smirking, leaned up and whispered in Shin's ear, "I apologize for having to leave you like this, Shin-sama, but it appears we'll have to continue our fun at a later date."

Stheno then released the trembling angel and walked over to the white-haired figure, stating morosely, "Gabriel-sama, you really can be a kill joy sometimes."

Gabriel did not respond, and without a word to any of the captive angels present, turned and walked out of the cave, Stheno following closely behind him.

A moment of complete silence descended upon the six angels, all of them unable to process what had just happened. Eventually though, the silence was broken by Shin who, unable to hold himself together any longer, let out a gasping sob and began shaking uncontrollably, tears pouring unhindered down his face.

* * *

**...I'm just going to go crawl in a hole now...T_T **

**Anyway, I'm sorry I left you guys hanging for so long after the last chapter, and hope this one satisfies y'all at least a little bit. I will do my best to update sooner than last time, so please, help me with my motivation and REVIEW! PLEASE! I NEED MY REVIEWS!**

**Now, an explanation for something you might not have understood in the story:**

**(1) Purgatory- traditionally, this was the place where souls awaiting judgement went after they died. I tweeked it a little bit to use it for my own purposes, so please, for all of you who believe in purgatory, don't flame me!**

**Oh, and some completely random and totally amazing news, one of my AWESOME reviewers, Sky'sShadow, actually drew a picture of Stheno! Seriously, it's totally incredible! I encourage you all to go take a look at it. It's on her deviant art account, and the link is available on my profile! XD**

**Well, that's all for now! Until next time, my friends!**

**~Neko-chan~**


	18. Taken

***laughs nervously* Ehehehe...hi everybody. Umm...yeah, so judging by all the glares you guys are leveling at your computer screens, I'm guessing you're not very happy with me for taking so long to write this next chapter. But before you kill me, I would like to say one thing...IT'S ALL FEATHER-CHAN'S FAULT! *runs and hides behind Feather-chan***

**NinthFeather: WHAT? How on Earth is this my fault? And stop hiding behind me! I'm the captive here, so you have no right to use me as a human shield.**

**Me: Actually, the fact that you are MY captive and thus completely at my mercy gives me full rights to use you as a human shield.**

**NinthFeather:...Can we move away from that disturbing piece of Neko-chan logic and get back to why you not updating for over a month is my fault?**

**Me: Oh, it's not really, but I don't wanna give them the real excuse-uh, I mean reason. *cries***

**NinthFeather: WHY THE HECK NOT?**

**Me: You try explaining to your readers that you nearly ended up in the hospital YET AGAIN because you have YET ANOTHER serious illness. **

**NinthFeather: I sincerely hope I never have to.**

**Me: So yeah, that was why I haven't updated in so long. That, and I had a case of writer's block from hell. Curse you, Lucifer! You're trying to sabotage my story!**

**NinthFeather: You do realize that you are blaming a fictional character for your writer's block, right?**

**Me:...And? Your point?**

**NinthFeather: *face palms* Just get on with your fic, already.**

**Me: Ok! ^-^**

**Warning: More bishie abuse, though not as severe as the last chapter. I can guarentee you, however, that you will still hate me by the end.**

**Disclaimer: At the moment, I own copious amounts of pain killers, but not the bishies of Saint Beast. Which sucks because bishies are the best kind of pain killer known to man (or woman ^_~)**

**Oh, and btw, this chapter is dedicated to Got Buttermilk, who actually helped give me the idea for this chapter (though I don't think she knows how yet). You rock, girl! **

* * *

None of the earlier false bravado or whispered worries were heard from the angels held captive in Hell. All had been forced into silence, for really, what was there to be said now? What use was bravado, when one of their own had already been broken? And what use were worries, when the worst had already come to pass?

No, the only sound to be heard in the large, stone cave was the soft, hiccuping sobbing coming from the aqua-haired angel chained to the wall.

It was only when the crying stopped, and a heavy, tension-filled silence descended upon the angels did one of them finally speak.

"Shin," Yuda pleaded, his low voice as loud as a shout in the dead silence of the cave, "Please, talk to me. Say something. Anything. Just let me know that you're..." What? Alright? Of course he wasn't alright. Yuda knew that. No one could come that close to...to _that_, and still be alright. Still, Yuda needed some kind of reassurance, some kind of proof, that Shin was still there. That he hadn't been completely broken. That Shin was still his.

Shin didn't respond at first, and the terrible, weighty silence continued to press on Yuda. Finally, just when the crimson-haired angel thought he would go completely insane if he didn't hear his love's voice, Shin spoke.

"I'm sorry," the aqua-haired angel whispered, his voice so low that Yuda strained to hear him.

"What?" Yuda asked gently, certain that he hadn't heard his angel right. After all, what could Shin possibly have to apologize for? It was Yuda who should be apologizing. It was Yuda who hadn't been able to protect Shin. It was Yuda who had done nothing but watch as that...that creature had tried to violate his love. So why in Heaven would Shin be apologizing?

"I-I said I'm s-sorry," Shin stammered, a bit louder than before. "I'm sorry I w-wasn't able to s-stop him. I tried, I truly did, but...but..." Shin paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"You know I tried, right Yuda? You know I didn't want him to do that. You didn't believe him when he said...when he said I...I liked it, right? Please tell me you didn't believe him, Yuda!" Shin begged, finally looking up and meeting Yuda's eyes.

The expression on the aqua-haired angel's face shattered Yuda's heart (as well as any thoughts of mercy towards Stheno) even more than his horrifying pleas. Never had he seen his beautiful angel look so...lost. So hopelessly lost. Like he was broken beyond what he ever imagined to be possible, and he desperately needed someone to pick up the pieces and put him back together again.

Yuda had thought about how he would feel if something like this were to happen to Shin many times since his conversation with Ruka in the library all those months ago, but not even in his worst nightmares did think it would feel like this. Anguish, terror, and rage roiled around inside him like a tornado, consuming everything inside him until there was nothing but the pain.

So much pain.

Fighting to keep his voice calm, Yuda attempted to speak around the growing lump in this throat. "Of course I didn't believe him, Shin. How could I? I know you fought him with everything you had. I know you did not want, let alone enjoyed what he did to you. And I know you have nothing, _nothing_, to be sorry for."

The panic in Shin's eyes began to die away, though the haunted, terrified look was still there. "Then...then you don't hate me?" he whispered, almost not daring to hope.

Yuda's expression grew even more pained, but he forced his voice to remain steady. "Shin, listen well to what I'm about to tell you, and never forget it. I will never, ever, hate you. I do not believe I am physically capable of feeling such a thing towards you. I love you. I have always loved you, and I will always love you. And there is absolutely nothing you or anyone else can do to change that."

The tears once again filled Shin's eyes as he nodded, grateful beyond belief for Yuda's words. Slowly, the aqua-haired angel turned to the other angels in the room and, his earlier anxiety returning to his voice, he whispered, "A-And the rest of you?"

For a moment, the awful silence returned. Thankfully, it was cut short by a rather angry voice replying, "What the hell does that mean, 'and the rest of you'? You think we could hate you for what that bastard did anymore than Yuda could? Please! You're our comrade, and more importantly, you're our friend, and there's nothing that damn Stheno can do about it!" Gai growled, trying to sound indignant, but the effect was ruined by the wink and toothy grin he sent Shin, making the amber-eyed angel smile softly in return.

Gou couldn't help but chuckled at Gai's usual callousness, "Well, while I would not have phrased it so...bluntly, Gai is right. Put in even simpler terms, we care about you, Shin. We're your friends, and as such, how could we judge or hate you for something that occurred through no fault of your own?"

"Shin-san, you didn't do anything wrong. Stheno hurt you, just like he hurt me, Kira-nii-san, and...and Rei-san, but there was nothing you could have done. How could anyone hate you for that?" Maya asked, giving Shin an encouraging smile.

"Shin," Ruka said, his voice somber. "There is something you should understand, something all of you should understand, though I'm sure some have guessed already," Ruka paused, seeming to gather his courage, before continuing. "What Stheno did to you moments ago, he also did to Rei six months ago."

Ruka saw both Shin and Gou nod, grim expression on their faces, as though they had already anticipated this revelation, while Maya gasped, his eyes wide, and Gai let loose a furious growl.

"It has taken me all this time to convince Rei that what happened was not his fault, and too be honest, at times, I think he still believes it is. So I hope you will listen to my words, and take them to heart as I truly hope Rei will someday do."

"Shin, what Stheno did was many things. It was cruel, disgusting, horrifying, and truly one of the most terrible forms of violation one being can force on another. But there is one thing that it was not. It was not. Your. Fault. And I could no more hate you for what was forced on you than I could hate Rei for what was done to him."

The tears that had gather in Shin's eyes once again began pouring freely down his cheeks, though this time not from terror or shame, but from relief and gratitude. "Thank you so much, everyone."

"Yes, thank you. That truly was a very touching moment," came a mocking voice from the far end of the cave. All six angels turned to see the smirking form of Lucifer striding towards them, flanked on either side by two hulking, grotesquely deformed demons.

"While I hate to interrupt such a tender, loving conversation, I'm afraid we have some business to which we simply must attend," Lucifer concluded, an arrogant sneer on his face as he walked toward his captives.

"I have come to see if the six of you have reconsidered my offer to join me in my paradise. There are many things I could teach you here, including the meaning of true freedom. A freedom where you are not bound to serve a tyrannical god, but instead serve no other but yourself. You would hold responsibility for none but yourself, and you would answer to none but yourself. Is that not what paradise truly is? Is that not what true freedom is?"

"You speak not of freedom, but of confinement," Yuda replied, glaring at the fallen angel in front of him. "A confinement born out of false beliefs of righteousness and illusions of grandeur. How would we achieve any more freedom under you than we do under Zeus-sama? At least under Zeus-sama, we have a purpose. We protect our fellow angels in Heaven, in addition to the humans and animals of Earth. And it is that purpose, Lucifer, that gives us our freedom."

Lucifer sighed. "All you angels are so naïve in the beginning. Very well, I guess I'll have to set about..._convincing_ you one at a time. Now, who shall we select first..." the onyx-haired man murmured as he scanned the angels currently chained to the cave wall.

Suddenly, he smiled. "Ah, I know. Let's start with the Byakko," he purred, signaling the the demons on either side of him to unchain the small angel.

"NO!" Gou shouted, tugging frantically at his own bonds in an attempt to free himself and save the blonde angel. "Take me instead! Just leave him!"

"Oh, worry not, Seiryuu, you will have your turn. And of course, the Byakko will be returned to you. Although," Lucifer continued, smirking, "What condition he is in when he is returned is entirely dependent on both you and him."

"Jeez, Gou, relax," Gai said, his teasing tone off put by the terror that shone through his eyes. "You think a can't handle a couple of stupid demons? I can take anything they can dish out!"

The demons on either side of him laughed. "We shall see about that, little angel," they growled as they roughly shoved Gai forward. "We shall see."

* * *

"Well, oh fearless leader, how do you suppose we get out of _this_?"

Rei scowled, both at Kira's sarcastic tone and the situation they seemed to have found themselves in. He should have known things had been going too well.

They had managed to enter the gateway of Hell without encountering any demons. The same occurred in the first circle. And the second circle. And the third circle. And the fourth circle...

By the time they had reached the eighth circle and had yet to encounter any demons at all, Rei was starting to get very, very nervous.

Still, both he and Kira continued to press on, for really, what choice did they have? No matter how much this whole situation was beginning to look like a trap, they had to continue in order to rescue the others.

And it was that brilliant plan that had currently gotten both him and Kira into their current situation. _Well, at least now we know where all the demons were_, Rei thought to himself, peeking out around the corner of the protruding wall he and Kira were currently taking shelter behind to gaze out at the large mass of demons currently blocking their only entrance to the ninth circle.

Thankfully, their backs were all turned towards Rei and Kira, so thy had yet to notice the two angels yet, but Rei did not hold out much hope for that to last long.

Quickly scanning the layout of the massive stone hall they were in, Rei noticed a narrow ledge that ran along the side of the cliff-like wall of the cave that would, while keeping them out of the line of sight of the demons, still lead them through the colossal iron gates of the ninth circle.

Quietly and quickly explaining his plan to Kira, the two carefully crept out from behind their shelter and made their way over to the steep, ramp-like incline that led up the ledge.

They had barely begun making their way up when the screaming started.

Terrible, horrible, and yet eerily familiar cries that seemed to make the very blood in Rei's veins run cold. Never had the violet-haired angel heard anything so heart-breaking, so soul shattering. Rei was certain that if pain were ever given a voice, it could never compare to this one scream.

While they managed to make up to the ledge fairly quickly, the trip was not without its close calls, the worst of which being when Rei slipped on some loose gravel on the path, which resulted in several small pebbles cascading to the ground, and the demons, below. Thankfully, however, the screaming was so loud by that point that none of the demon heard the soft sound of the rocks crashing to the stone below.

When the two angels finally managed to pull themselves up onto the ledge, however, their relief and elation at accomplishing such a feat was short lived. For from their vantage point on the ledge, they could finally see the source of the screams.

In the center of the large ring of demons, a small figure had been crucified, nailed to a crude wooden cross. The figure's clothes were all but gone, and what few scraps of clothe remained were so stained with blood that it was nearly impossible to tell fabric from flesh. Demon hell hounds barked and growled ravenously at the foot of the cross, and from the numerous bite marks along the captive figures legs, they were not there merely for intimidation. Innumerable burn, stab, and bite marks marred the figure's body, painting every inch of the once ivory skin a bloody crimson.

Yet it was none of these things that caused both Kira and Rei to freeze in horror. No, what succeeded in filling both angels with a terror so keen they felt it cut into their very bones was the sight of the figure's mop of long, filthy, blood matted, yet still undeniably _blonde_ hair and its wide, pain-glazed _green_ eyes.

_Gai._

* * *

**Well, there it is! The long awaited chapter 18 of "Strength"! I hope you enjoyed it and, while I know half of you want to kill me for what I've done to Gai, while the other half want to kill me for the majorly sadistic cliffhanger I've left you with, I promise I will try and updated much sooner than last time (provided there are no more impromptu hospital visits).**

**NinthFeather: There had better not be any more hospital visits, or I swear I'm going to kill you! **

**Me:...Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of me going to the hospital in the first place?**

**NinthFeather: Yes, but it would make me feel a heck of a lot better.**

**Me:...ANYWAY, please please please please give me reviews! I love my reviews! They make me want to write! So please, REVIEW! **

**NinthFeather: Please just do it. It might actually make her shut up.**

**Me: Not likely.**

**That's all for now!**

**~Neko-chan~**


	19. Torture

**Me: *crawls out of hole in the middle of Puerto Rico* Ugh, my aching head...but damn, that was some party last night, eh Feather-chan?**

**NinthFeather: That party wasn't last night, _baka neko_, it was four months ago.**

**Me: O.O WHAT? HOW THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN? WHAT ON EARTH HAVE I BEEN DOING FOR THE PAST FOUR MONTHS?**

**NinthFeather:...You really expect me to answer that? Why don't you explain it to all your readers. That is, if you have any left after all this time...**

**Me: -.- Ok, so yeah...I guess you guys kind of deserve an explanation as to my sudden disappearance, huh? Well, to start out, back in August, my dad had a heart attack. He survived, and he's almost fully recovered, but it was a real strain on our family, so I had to help out with a lot of things. Then I landed in the hospital. Twice. And after several rounds of painful medical testing, the doctors still have no f-ing clue what's wrong with me. So now I'm on pain meds and have to go get MORE tests done in a few weeks. Oh joy.**

**Me: Well...that's about all of it. I'm soooooooo sorry that I haven't updated in so long. I thank you all for your patience and understanding, especially those of you that pm-ed to see how I was doing. I really appreciate it! Arigatou!**

**And now, without further ado, on with the fic!**

**Warning: I have officially decided to change the rating of this fic from T to M. Not because of anything in this chapter specifically, but because, let's face it, I should have changed it a LONG time ago...^^' Also, there's a bit of blood in this chapter and, as always, bishie x bishie love, so no like-**

**NinthFeather: Then what the heck are you still doing here?**

**Disclaimer: Even though I have been gone for four months, this still has not changed. I still do not own the bishies of Saint Beast, so Mr. and Mrs. Lawyer, please go home.**

* * *

Gai had not been gone a hour when the screams started.

At first, Shin didn't even believe they were screams. After all, how could anything living—or at least, had at one time been living—make such a sound? A sound laced with so much agony, so much pain, that no one in the room recognized it for what it really was.

Except Gou.

As soon as the screams began, Gou's attempts to break his bonds became all the more frenzied. His dark complexion became pale as the blood drained from his face, and his normally calm bi-colored eyes grew wide and glassy with panic.

Shin, more than a little frightened by Gou's sudden frenzy, did his best to discover the source of his friend's panic. "Gou! Gou, what's wrong? What's gotten into you? Are you alright?"

Gou didn't even pause in his struggles when he replied, "What's wrong? How can you even ask? Don't you hear it? Don't you hear his screams?"

"Gou, I know the screams are terrible," Yuda said carefully, also greatly concerned by Gou's sudden change in temperament. "But you can't let it get to you like this. We don't even know who—,"

"Don't know who?" Gou shouted, finally stopping his frenzied movements and turning to glare at the crimson-haired angel. "How can you not know? How can you...how the hell can you not recognize him? How can you not..." Gou trailed off as fought to fight back tears, and resumed his fierce struggle to free himself from his bonds.

Yuda and Ruka looked at one another in confusion, then looked back at Gou, worry etched all over their faces.

"Gou, are you sure—," Ruka started, but he was cut off by Shin's sudden exclamation.

"Maya! Maya, are you alright? Maya, say something!" Shin called out anxiously, struggling against his chains in an attempt to get closer to the small half-angel.

Maya's face had lost all its color, and his body seemed to have gone completely limp, so that only the chains that bound him to the wall kept him from dropping to the ground. His eyes were glazed over, and his countenance was one of pure horror. Shin didn't know what was happening to the young half-angel, but he knew it could not be good.

As if reading his thoughts, Maya let out a shaky breath. "I-It's Gai," he stuttered, to the horror of everyone in the room.

Shin's first reaction was denial. No, it couldn't be Gai. It just couldn't be. Gai was the youngest of their group, and—though none would ever dare say this in front of the blonde angel—the most innocent as well. How could anyone, even the demons of hell, hurt a creature as pure as Gai?

Lucifer's earlier words came unbidden to the forefront of Shin's mind. _Of course, the Byakko will be returned to you. Although what condition he is in when he is returned is entirely dependent on both you and him._

_No!_ Shin thought, shaking his head to clear his mind of the traitorous thoughts. Lucifer hadn't been serious. He wouldn't really hurt Gai. He couldn't. The fallen angel was bluffing.

He just had to be.

Yet one look at the tortured expression on Gou's face, and Shin knew it was just wishful thinking. Gou and Gai had always shared a bond similar to that of his and Yuda's, only much, much older. Gou and Gai had know one another since the day of their creation, and at times, it seemed as if they were two halves of a whole angel rather than two separate beings. They knew each other inside and out, and when one was happy, the other would laugh with joy. And when the one was sad, the other would hold him close and weep tears of sorrow.

So it was only natural that Gai's pain would also be Gou's. And from the broken stance of the brunette angel's body, Shin knew that Gou was experiencing the worst agony he had ever known.

* * *

For a few seconds after discovering the identity of the tortured, blood-soaked creature surrounded by hordes of demons below them, Kira and Rei could do nothing but stare in horror and denial. No, no that couldn't be Gai. That couldn't be the cute, hyperactive feline they both knew so well. There was just no way...

But it was. That mutilated, wretched being below them was Gai.

Before the two angels had anytime to process this fact, however, the screams abruptly stopped. Leaning forward slightly over the ledge to see what was happening, Rei noticed—to his immense shock and relief—that the demons torturing Gai had pulled back. This respite was short lived, however, as no sooner had the demons pulled back than a cloaked figure with long, black hair emerged from the horde. And, though Rei had to strain to hear, the sound of the being's voice made the violet-haired angel go cold in horrified recognition.

Lucifer.

"Now Byakko-sama, I see no reason for this barbaric unpleasantness to continue any further. I know the pain must be absolutely...terrible for you," the fallen angel said in casual tone, gently running his fingertips over one of the deeper wounds on Gai's torso.

"The pain can stop anytime, Byakko-sama," Lucifer continued, licking the blood from his fingers, "All you have to do is denounce Zeus and the kingdom of Heaven, and swear allegiance to me, promising to reside in my paradise for the rest of eternity. Really, it's not such a bad bargain. Think of it," the black-haired figure continued in a dreamy tone, "True freedom. An existence free of the tyranny of an unjust god. A life where you are free to do as you please, live as you please..." Lucifer trailed off, then added softly, almost sadly, "And love who you please."

Immediately shaking off his somber mood as quickly as he had donned it, Lucifer continued pleasantly, "So what have you to say, Byakko-sama? Will you accept my offer? Will you cast away the chains of bondage Zeus has forced upon you, and accept _true_ freedom?"

For a few moments after Lucifer's reciting of his rhetoric, Gai did not show any indication that he would respond, or that he had even heard the fallen angel, for that matter. But just as Rei was beginning to think that Gai's mind had shown him mercy and let him slip into unconsciousness, the blonde angel stirred. Slowly, the small, bloodied angel lifted his head so he was looking Lucifer directly in the eye. Rei's heart lept with joy as he saw a familiar spark of defiance in the seemingly broken angel's eyes, but that joy instantly died as Gai gave his answer.

By spitting blood right in Lucifer's face.

* * *

**Ok, I know it's a bit on the short side, and I know not a whole lot happens in this chapter, but hey, at least it got written, right? Right?**

**NinthFeather: At this point, I'd be surprised if you have any readers left to disappoint...**

**Me: -.- No one asked you, Feather-chan.**

**NinthFeather: Since when have you had to ask for me to insult you?**

**Me:...Good point.**

**By the way, in case any of you were wondering about Lucifer's cryptic little dialogue in there, I am planning on writing a Lucifer centric fic soon. Even though I made him a real bastard in this fic, I think Lucifer deserves a little love every now and then, ne?**

**Now, I know after all this time, I probably don't deserve it, but if you all could find it in your hearts to review, even if it's only to tell me how much I suck, I will love you forever! XD**

**Until next time, my lovelies!**

**~Neko-chan~**


	20. Rescue

**Hey y'all! It's me, the one, the only, the soon-to-be-officially-declared-insane, NEKO-CHAN! YIPPEE! *starts running around in circles for no apparent reason***

**NinthFeather:...what the heck is wrong with you?**

**Me: Wrong? Nothing's wrong! Why does something always have to be wrong? Can't I just be happy and hyper for the simple joy I get from it? WHY MUST YOU ALWAYS ASSUME THE WORST? *eye twitch***

**NinthFeather: Because you're eye is twitching, as is most of the rest of you.**

**Me: *eye continues to twitch* Oh, that. That's just because I'm currently working on my fourth cup of coffee. *starts randomly singing* Coffee makes the world go around, the world go around...**

**NinthFeather: You're really starting to scare me.**

**Me: Just starting?**

**NinthFeather: I mean more than usual. And that's saying something.**

**Me: Gimme a break. After the month I've had, I need all the caffine I can get.**

**NinthFeather: True enough.**

**Me: Ok, so I quess I should explain to y'all why I didn't update as quickly as I had previously planned. Well, first, the holidays got in the way (and I had a birthday in there somewhere...). Then, because fate is a bitch and seems to take great pleasure in tormenting me, my laptop died. And for those of you who have not paid attention to the previous author's notes, my laptop had all of my fics. And I mean, all of them. So it took me a good two weeks to recover them from my hard drive, and then another week to gain access to another computer. **

**But, of course, fate's "let's torture Neko-chan fest" did not end there, because soon after I rescued my fics, I had a nice little stay in the ER due to severe illness and dehydration. Oh joy. And then, after I got out of the hospital, my good friend Mr. Writer's Block decided to pay me a visit. More joy. **

**But, after a nice conversation with Feather-chan, I was finally able to get enough inspiration to finish this chapter. Thank you, Feather-chan!**

**NinthFeather: I still don't get why you keep coming to me for inspiration in your SHOUNEN-AI story, when you know I don't do shounen-ai.**

**Me: Because it works! And it annoys you, which makes it all the more fun!**

**NinthFeather: *grumbles* Just shut up and get on with the chapter already.**

**Me: *bows* Yes, my lord. (I have been watching WAY too much Kuroshitsuji lately...)**

**Warning: Violence, angst, torture...ya know, all the stuff you've come to expect from me. If you don't like it, I really have no idea what the hell you're still doing here after 20 chapters, but kindly leave now.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Saint Beast or any of the bishies within, so Mr. and Mrs. Lawyer, kindly take little Lawyer Jr. and go home. Thanks.**

* * *

Rei had always known Gai's inability to understand the difference between subtle defiance and outright antagonism would one day be the death of the cat-like angel. He'd lost count of the number of lectures he'd given Gai about how taking things too far could get him seriously hurt, but the blonde angel had always just laughed and said that Rei worried too much. The violet-haired angel had always just sighed and shaken his head, realizing that Gai would probably have to learn this lesson the hard way.

Never had Rei regretted being right as much as he did at this moment.

Lucifer slowly wiped the blood from his face with a look of cold indifference that terrified Rei more than any expression of rage. "Very well, Byakko-sama. I had hoped for a more intelligent response to my proposal, but no matter. I'm sure, once your...unfortunate fate is made known, your friends will prove much more cooperative." And with a dismissive hand gesture at the demon horde behind him, the dark-haired man turned and left the cavern.

Immediately after the departure of their master, the demons began to close in on the wounded angel once more. Rei's stomach turned at the sight of the sickening grins on their faces. He didn't know what they had planned for the youngest Saint Beast, but his imagination supplied him with numerous options.

And Rei wasn't too keen on seeing any of them become reality.

So, without even pausing to think his next course of action all the way through, Rei clasped the Kira's hand in his own and stood up, pulling the other up with him.

Kira had, at this point, still had not caught on to what Rei was planning, and thus was very confused by the violet-haired angel's actions. _Why the hell is Rei holding my hand? I mean, yeah, I get that seeing Gai like this must be really hard for him—dammit, it's even hard me, and I don't even like the brat that much—but seriously, holding hands? Why would he..._

Then Rei stepped up to the edge of the cliff.

_Oh shit._ "Rei, don't you dare—,"

But before the half-angel could even finish his protest—or even get the amber-eyed angel to acknowledge that he'd said anything—Rei lept off the cliff, dragging Kira over the ledge with him.

Then, just before the two of them hit the ground, Rei snapped out his wings.

The pain was intense. As soon as his wings appeared, Rei felt as if his back had burst into flames. It took all he had not to black out in mid-air as he flew toward the crucified angel at the center of the demon horde.

By some miracle, Rei was able to not only make it to his destination, but land without immediately collapsing from the pain. As soon as his and Kira's feet touched the cave floor, the blonde half-angel turned to face the (thankfully) stunned demons, but not before growling, "Rei, if we make it out of this alive, I swear to Zeus I am going to kill you."

Rei didn't even pause to look at the half-angel before replying. "Kira, if we make it out of this alive, I just might let you."

The violet-haired angel then focused all his attention on freeing his wounded friend, while Kira freed his whip from his belt and began cutting down the hideous creatures that surrounded them.

Rei quickly assessed the situation, trying his hardest not to give in to the rage and guilt that coursed through him at the sight of the smaller angel. If Gai's wounds had look terrible from a distance, they were horrifying and nauseating up close. But Rei couldn't focus on that. First he had to rescue the tortured angel, then he could give in to his emotions.

Gai's hands were held in place on the cross by two large, rusty nail that pierced through the palms, and his feet had been placed over top of one another and fastened to the bottom of the cross with one nail going through both of them.

Rei knew what was necessary to free his friend, but he the thought of doing it made him feel ill. Still, the petite angel knew what had to be done, so he took a deep breath, wrapped both hands around the nail that was pierced through Gai's feet…

…and yanked it out as hard and fast as he could.

Rei had never been so grateful for anything in his life as he was for the smaller angel's unconsciousness at that moment. Because even in his non-waking state, when Rei pulled out the nail, Gai's entire body jerked and his mouth opened as if to scream, though no sound came out. Still, it was one of the most painful sights Rei had ever seen, and yet he was forced to put Gai through it again…and again…

Finally though, the third and final nail had been removed from Gai's left hand, and the small, battered angel fell forward into Rei's waiting arms.

Rei quickly turned to see how Kira was fairing (and rescue the half-angel, if need be) and was surprised, and begrudgingly impressed, to find that Kira was not only almost completely unharmed (excluding a few cuts and bruises that were to be expected in a fight as one-sided as the one he was currently fighting) but the half-angel was actually doing rather well in his fight against the demon horde. He was by no means winning—the sheer number of demons negated any chance of that—but he was holding the horde back and buying them time, which was exactly what they needed.

Glancing around the cavern, Rei frantically began looking for a means of escape. Their salvation presented itself in the form of a small, almost crack-like entrance to a cave set high up on the ledge of a cliff on the far side of the cavern. Glancing back at the demons, Rei quickly established that none of them had wings, and thus would be unable to pursue them for quite some time should they make it to the cave.

Grimacing at the pain he knew his next actions would cause him, the violet-haired angel braced himself and silently willed his wings to emerge.

Rei bit back a scream of agony as the golden appendages appeared on his back. It felt like someone was trying to rip his spine from his body. Still, Rei had no time to concentrate on the pain, and so, without giving himself any time to recover, Rei shifted his hold on Gai to one arm and lept into the air.

"Kira!"

The half-angel turned towards the voice that had called his name just in time to clasp Rei's outstretched arm and be yanked off his feet and into the air. Truthfully, Kira once again had no idea what the amber-eyed angel was planning, but previous experience had taught him that, when it came to Rei, it was best just to go with the flow. So he vented his frustrations by throwing taunts and insults at the confused and angry demon horde that was quickly getting smaller and smaller beneath him. Rei, though still in a fair amount of pain from his back, still managed to roll his eyes.

Honestly, Kira was so childish sometimes.

Rei was half way up the cliff face when he realized that it was getting harder and harder to flap his wings. Still, he managed to make it to his destination and heave Kira up onto the ledge. He had just handed Gai over to the half-angel when pain, worse than any the violet-haired angel had felt previously, seared down the center of his back.

Rei couldn't scream. He couldn't think. He couldn't even breathe beyond the pain. It was torment the likes of which the amber-eyed angel could not remember feeling ever before. There was no way to describe it, it was just hell. Pure hell and…_oh Zeus, make i__t stop make it stop make it stop make it stop…_

And then, as suddenly as it had come, the pain was gone. And Rei was falling…falling…

Only to be jerked to an abrupt, and rather painful, halt when something grabbed his arm. Looking up, Rei saw that Kira had grabbed hold of his wrist and was now slowly pulling him back up to the ledge.

When Rei finally had both feet planted firmly on the ledge of the cliff, he quickly pick Gai up from where Kira had laid him against the side of the cliff and hurried into the dark expanse of the cave, Kira following close behind. Only when they were far enough in that they knew they could not be pursued did they allow themselves to collapse, breathless and exhausted, against the wall of the cave.

"What…the hell…was that," Kira asked angrily a few moments later, still panting from exertion.

Rei knew exactly what he was referring to without asking, but he still had no answer for the half-angel as to why his wings had given out. At least, none that he wanted to consider. Yuda's warning about his wings came unbidden to the forefront of his mind:

_"If you w__ere to try to bring your wings__ out again before the healing process was fully completed, you could lose the use of them...permanently."_

Thankfully, Rei was spared having to answer Kira's question when a soft moan sounded from further into the cave. Immediately, Kira and Rei were on their feet and alert, squinting in the darkness to try and make out the source of the noise.

The moan came again, louder this time and accompanied by what sounded like the clinking of chains. Rei, recognizing the sound to by one of pain rather than threat, stepped closer to the fuzzy silhouette he could barely make out in the dark. Using his powers to make a small orb of light, Rei held it out in front of him and gasped at the sight it revealed.

"Pandora?"

* * *

**Well, there you have it, chapter 20. I know I'm leaving you with yet another cliffhanger, but I'm sure you'll find it in your hearts to forgive me. And if not...well, that's your problem, not mine.**

**NinthFeather: It will be your problem when all your readers finally go insane from your sadistic cliffhangers and team up to kill you.**

**Me:...Oh well. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. ^-^**

**NinthFeather: *facepalms* What am I going to do with you?**

**Me: *ignores Feather-chan* Please review! Reviews motivate me! I NEED REVIEWS!**

**Until next time, my dears!**

**~Neko-chan~**


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